


The Lion's Reach

by ttacticianmagician



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Azure Moon route spoilers, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Kinda, NG+, Redemption, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, eventual all route spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2020-12-16 15:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21038645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ttacticianmagician/pseuds/ttacticianmagician
Summary: Byleth is killed during the last battle at Enbarr. With her dying breath, she sends the Blue Lions back to their first day at the Officer's Academy. Now Dimitri and the others must find a way to stop the upcoming war, even without their professor's guidance.





	1. How it was supposed to end

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a request from my sister but then spiraled into its own thing. I hope you're ready for this because it's going to be a long ride. Heck even I'm not ready.
> 
> A disclaimer: I haven't finished the Azure Moon route at the time of posting this. But I do know all the basic plot points and the general characterization. Also my sister, who has completed the route, is beta reading this. Many thanks to her!
> 
> Another disclaimer: I haven't fully decided on any ships yet, so the tags are all platonic for now. I will maybe change the relationship tags or other tags in the future.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Dimitri’s army had just infiltrated Enbarr, broke through the city’s defenses, and now stormed through the imperial castle. Although the battlefield was smaller, it was no less important to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. If they defeated the enemy’s commander here, the long and bloody war that engulfed the entirety of Fódlan would come to a close.

Because this castle was the Adrestian Empire’s last line, they fought like fanatics. Warriors hacked at any foe they spotted with axes, without regards to their safety. Mages called forth giant fireballs that rained upon distant battalions. Demonic Beasts roared and lashed out in an indiscriminate manner. To top it off, mysterious projectiles of foul energy from an unknown source assailed them all, threatening to rend them apart if they weren’t fast on their feet. Dimitri had a sneaking suspicion that this spell originated from someone in the throne room, but it wouldn’t be confirmed until they made their way further inside.

The Kingdom soldiers returned their ferocity in kind, especially those of Dimitri’s Blue Lions. Ingrid and Sylvain charged forward with their mounts to get the first strike. Once they attracted the opponent’s attention, they retreated into the range of Ashe’s arrows and Annette’s wind magic. Felix fought against several soldiers at once, dodging their strikes with ease and retaliating with a gleaming blade that moved too quickly to spot. He fought without backup, but he was at least mindful enough to stay relatively close to his allies; a marked improvement since the start of the war. Mercedes hung back to stay out of the enemy’s reach, but that did not mean that she wasn’t contributing to the battle. Her long range healing proved essential in keeping the frontliners invigorated. 

The crown prince himself was one of those frontliners. He drove his lance into a sword-wielding foe and flung his limp body into another foe closing in on him. Before, he fought with so much bloodlust and hatred that even allies regarded him as more monstrous than human. But now, after many months of seeking and suffering from retribution, he fought with a new purpose. Dimitri fought for his friends, who believed in his path. He fought for the fallen, whose deaths will not be in vain. And he fought for a peaceful future, when a tortuous war such as this will become just a long-forgotten memory.

It was thanks to another frontliner, Byleth, that he could have such a clear purpose. At the monastery, his former professor was a kind and understanding soul that dragged him out of a dark place. But here, during the final battle, she was the Ashen Demon. Her nickname from her mercenary days held true after all these years as she smited foes with her Sword of the Creator. And it wasn’t just her peerless skill with the blade that made her a crux in the Kingdom’s army. She had a knack for strategizing and commanding even in the heat of battle. Byleth directed vulnerable soldiers away from would-be fatal confrontations and organized others into advantageous positions. Dimitri swore that she could see the future with how uncannily successful her tactics were.

With their combined efforts, the Blue Lions eliminated the last obstacles between them and the throne room. When they barged through the giant doors, a horrendous sight awaited them. Edelgard, if she could even be called that anymore, had turned into a hideous Demonic Beast. Her limbs grown long and grotesque, a tail and a pair of skeletal wings sprouted from her back, and dark grey muscles covered almost her entire body. The only part of her that wasn’t protected by the carapace was her face, wrinkled with scars of the transformation. If one thought that a well-aimed arrow to the head would prove her undoing, it was quickly proven false. Ashe’s shot merely bounced off her skull and the archer was nearly consumed by dark magic in return.

“These fools are caught up in the sacrifices at hand and cannot see the future ramifications at stake.” Hegemon Edelgard’s ominous words signaled a rush of reinforcements from faraway staircases. “We must bury them. We must trample the past underfoot, and move onward to a brighter tomorrow!”

As much as Dimitri would love to end this without further bloodshed, it was obvious that she wasn’t going to back down until the bitter end. He and the other Blue Lions fought tooth and nail to get closer to the empress. Her horrific appearance and increasingly crazed magic attacks disturbed them to their core, but they had no choice but to press onwards. The end to the war was in sight. They couldn’t help but to give it their all. Once the Adrestian army had sufficiently thinned out, Byleth’s shouts carried new commands over the chaos. They were to converge on Hegemon Edelgard once her holy blade cut through her armor. The newly opened weak point should provide them with enough of an opening to shatter the rest of her defenses. And once they have overwhelmed her with their might and left her dazed and confused, it was up to Dimitri to deliver a powerful finishing blow that she had no hope of recovering from. He pondered for a moment if Byleth relied on his strength to end this fight, or she gave him this moment as a form of closure.

It seems like the perfect strategy. With Dimitri and Byleth at the helm, it didn’t feel like anything could go wrong. The Blue Lions moved in. Hegemon Edelgard, catching wind of their plan, stayed motionless and built up an aura of strange light around her. Dimitri suspected that she was up to something, but he couldn’t hesitate now. Their assault should stop whatever she was devising. 

Byleth charged up the stairs first. With a flick of her wrist, her sword turned into a whip that lashed out at the monster and left a deep gash in her armor. Hegemon Edelgard launched a sphere of concentrated dark energy at her, but she dodged it with ease. Byleth struck her again with the Sword of the Creator, deepening the wound from her first attack. While Hegemon Edelgard focused solely on defeating the nimble swordswomen, a flying shadow speared her from the side. Ingrid darted away on her pegasus before she could retaliate. Felix and Sylvain, in concordance, attacked her next. The blue shimmer of the Sword of Moralta and the orange glow of the Lance of Ruin blazed fiercely as they dug into the cracks of her defenses. From a distance, Ashe fired off several arrows that all met their mark this time. Annette unleashed a giant windstorm that wracked the Empress’s body and peeled away numerous loosened scales. Even Mercedes opted to join the assault by casting fiery spells in between healing ones.

Hegemon Edelgard dropped to one knee. Despite her grievous injuries, the aura of light only intensified. Dimitri gripped his own Hero’s Relic, Areadbhar, tightly as he rushed forward. He was five steps away from her before the light suddenly formed massive tendrils that dived towards him and the others. Driving his lance into the ground, he launched himself into a cartwheel to avoid her desperate attacks. But to his surprise, the tendrils of light that phased through the floor re-emerged from it and wrapped around his lance like invasive ivy. Without his lance’s support, he fell over and face planted into the ground. The other Blue Lions that had surrounded the throne suffered similar fates. Byleth, who was the closest to her, readied her sword to attack even while she was stuck in place. Hegemon Edelgard turned her demonic red gaze towards her.

“Facing you… I grow weak.”

That cryptic statement was the only warning Byleth got before yet another magical projectile was hurled her way. She attempted to deflect it with her sword but it slashed uselessly through it. The darkness enveloped her, causing her to scream in pain and to drop her weapon. Dimitri, spurred on by her cries of anguish, managed to break free of the tendril’s grasp and sprinted towards her as fast as he could. But Hegemon Edelgard was alarmingly fast despite her massive bulk and weakened state. With a kick off the ground, she lunged towards Byleth with outstretched claws. Dimitri swung his lance to lop off one arm, but couldn’t stop the other from skewering through the professor’s chest.

Byleth gasped. Then blood sputtered out of her mouth, adding to the puddles on the ground and the splotches that stained the three of them. In the wicked talons that pierced through her body was a small glowing stone with a strange symbol carved on it. Byleth stared at Dimitri, her bright blue eyes clouding over with imminent death. As he stared back, an animalistic howl escaped his lips and he hefted his lance into the air. 

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. He was supposed to end this with Byleth, with Felix, Sylvain, Ingrid, and with his other friends that stayed by his side. They were supposed to walk into a bright future together after being dragged through the dark hell that was war. But now this monster stole that ending from him, and he had every intention to gut her like how she gutted Byleth. 

He didn’t get a chance to. As he charged towards Hegemon Edelgard, Byleth whispered her last words with her dying breath.

“Stop… this…”

Suddenly, a crashing noise that sounded like breaking glass filled his ears. He froze in place. Everyone did. He could not look away from the brutal visage of Byleth’s death, which was painted with a strange purple hue and had its lightness and darkness inverted. Both Byleth’s black outfit and Hegemon Edelgard’s ebon armor were now stark white. Only the latter was clothed in a soft white, the color of fresh snow, while the former was wreathed in a sickening white, like bone bleached in sunlight. The only object that retained its original colors was the mysterious stone. Its symbol, the Crest of Flames, pulsed with an orange-pink glow as it sent invisible shockwaves through the air.

Then the image before him shattered into a million pieces. Dimitri felt himself slipping away as the shards of his reality winked away into nothingness.

* * *

The first thing he noticed when he woke up was that he had his full vision back. The second thing he noticed was the breeze that stirred the curtains of his windows. It was a gentle wind that only blew through peaceful days, one that went missing during the war.

Dimitri bolted upright in his bed. His hands touched his left eye. Instead of cloth, his fingers felt unscarred skin. When he pulled them away, the sight of his Garreg Mach bedroom greeted him. But the bedroom wasn’t in the state he last left it in before he and the Faerghus army marched off towards Enbarr. Books were in their rightful place on the shelves and desk. Walls were adorned with art and ornaments instead of papers depicting battle plans. The vase of flowers he received from the professor as a birthday gift was gone, as well as the conspicuous layer of dust and grime that accumulated over five years of neglect.

His heart quickened as he pulled himself out of bed and towards the mirror. He already knew what he was going to find, but it still shocked him when he saw his reflection. The man staring back at him was a Dimitri six years younger. His hair was shorter and well-trimmed. Both of his eyes were intact and filled with a sky blue color that wasn’t yet dirtied with endless nightmares. None of the scars he earned from the war were visible. The sleepwear that clothed his smaller frame was one that he had lost after the battle of Garreg Mach. He turned his stunned gaze to the calendar that hung next to the mirror. All the days up to the 23rd day of the Great Tree Moon in the Imperial Year 1180 were crossed out. 

How could this be?! Dimitri knew of no spell that could transport him fix years into the past, to the beginning of his year at the Officer’s Academy. What especially antagonized him was the fact that they were so close to victory. He was so close to defeating Edelgard and ending her oppressive regime. Does this mean that he had to watch the events leading up to the war unfold before his very eyes again? He had to witness the fall of the monastery, his kingdom, and his loved ones a second time? 

The memory of Byleth being murdered by that beast floated up to the forefront of his mind. He still remembered it like it happened mere seconds ago. Her wilted stare. Her last words. The stone that Hegemon Edelgard pulled out of her chest. That stone… he felt that it was the cause of all this. It somehow reversed the flow of time and made him a mere teenager again.

Someone less traumatized would have many questions. But Dimitri was only filled with rage and grief. He punched the mirror, as if he couldn’t stand his youthful face any longer, and obliterated it in one blow. The shattering sound it made reminded him of the sound that accompanied the time reversal, which further fueled his torment. He punched the broken mirror again and smashed through it. When he pulled his fist back, blood trickled from scratches on his hand and a small crater of splinters scarred the wall behind the mirror. If he was still an adult, he would’ve been able to punch cleanly through the wall and such a blow wouldn’t have hurt him at all. But now, in addition to being forced to relive his past, he would have to build up his strength again to endure the trials to come. 

It wasn’t fair. He would have rather died in the throne room along with Byleth, right then and there. As he cradled his bloody hand, heavy footsteps rushed up the nearby stairs. The ruckus he caused undoubtedly attracted attention, but Dimitri didn’t care. He lived through this school year before, and then some. He should be able to handle any problems that arise here, in the monastery, during times of peace-

The door slammed open. Standing in the doorway was a man Dimitri had not seen in a very, very long time.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Dedue’s concerned voice sent him into a different sort of trance. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and yet it made sense. He was six years in the past, before Dedue died to save Dimitri. He was still alive. Still here.

Something was stuck in his throat. He couldn’t answer when Dedue repeated his question. Seeing his bloodied fist, Dedue stepped forward with a clean cloth and bandaged his hand tightly. His fingers were warm, too warm to belong to a ghost. Dimitri couldn’t hold back his bewilderment any longer and wrapped his free arm around Dedue’s torso. He buried his face into his chest, despite protests from Dedue. As he listened to his heartbeat, his shudders gradually quelled into heavy breaths that matched his pulse. Budding tears stained the bigger man’s shirt, but that didn’t bother Dedue as much as everything else.

“Your Highness, if the injury hurts you that much, I need to bring you to the infirmary.”

“I’m not hurt. I’m just… so glad you are here.” Dimitri could finally speak again, although his voice cracked from the weight of his emotions.

“Yes? You know that I will never leave your side, no matter what.”

Liar. That poisonous thought shot through his mind like an arrow. Dimitri knew that he will abandon him. During Cornelia’s coup, Dimitri was arrested for supposedly murdering the king regent, and Dedue sacrificed himself to free him from prison.

Or will he? Now that he knew what will happen, could he stop him from dying an early death? And why stop there? Dimitri could prevent the war from ever happening. He could save the lives of Rodrigue, Jeralt, Lonato, Miklan, all the students and soldiers that perished. Maybe, and this was a big maybe, he could even save Edelgard.

Shock turned into awe as he pulled himself away from Dedue. Is that what Byleth meant with her last words? She wanted him to stop this war from ever occurring? Did she knew that this was going to happen, and relied on Dimitri to save her from her terrible fate? 

No. Not just Dimitri. Could the other Blue Lions have been sent back in time with him? As if on cue, more footsteps hurried towards his room. The first friendly face to make an appearance was a younger Felix, with a sword at his hip. He looked so different, Dimitri could hardly recognize him at first. His face was more curved, his hair was a bit longer, and he had an absolutely astounded expression on his face, rather than his usual scowl. A hand was placed on its pommel but it fell away as he spotted the retainer next to his prince. 

“Hey! It’s not just me, then, isn’t it?” Another voice shouted from down the hallway.

“What in the-” 

Sylvain nearly bowled Felix over before he could finish his sentence. Like Felix, his features were slightly off from the knight Dimitri had come to known. But there was no mistaking his flaming orange hair and easygoing grin. While Felix snapped at Sylvain for running into him, Ingrid peeked through the doorway. Her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as she slowly crept inside, extending a hand towards Dedue.

“Dedue… Are you really…?”

Dedue flinched as she held his hand. Dimitri suddenly recalled that they weren’t originally on good terms during their year at the academy. Ingrid held a lot of hate in her heart for the people of Duscur due to past tragedies. And Dedue let her hate roll right off his back, claiming that he was used to such feelings. But after he died to save Dimitri, Ingrid’s attitude towards him changed completely. Too little, too late.

More chatter announced the arrival of Ashe, Annette, and Mercedes. The three of them were so much younger, untouched by war, and also surprised by Dedue’s presence. They all crowded around him, with Annette giving him a big bone-crushing hug, Ashe trying to stop her from strangling him, and Mercedes on the verge of tears. Sylvain and Felix paused their bickering to voice similarly enthusiastic remarks, albeit from a healthier distance.

“Dedue! You’re alive! How could this be?”

“It’s not a dream, right? It feels way too real to be a dream.”

“This truly is an amazing miracle, thank the goddess.”

“I guess I really did get sent back six years into the past, didn’t I?”

“Not just you, Felix. We all did.”

“But how-”

“Hold a moment.” Dedue pulled away from Annette and his adoring fans and crossed his arms. “I believe there is some sort of misunderstanding. Why is everyone so glad that I’m alive? What’s this about ‘six years ago’?”

“Dedue…” Dimitri’s tongue fell flat as he realized that he didn’t even know where to begin. There was too much to explain. And the wild events that occured since Dimitri saw him last were probably inconceivable to someone who wasn’t there. The many years he spent as a bloodthirsty vagrant, the professor’s return, the long struggle to retake the Kingdom and the even longer struggle to topple the Empire. He wasn’t sure if the tacturn man would believe the tale he had to tell him, one that would require a great deal of time to recount.

Which was something they didn’t have. While the Blue Lions were rejoicing in their reunion, other students were coming around the corner to find out what the commotion was all about. Dimitri froze when he saw their faces. They were either unfortunate casualties or bitter enemies from a distant future. Luckily, they seemed more curious about the broken mirror in Dimitri’s room and didn’t question why so many people were gathered here in the first place. So he didn’t have to deal with them. For now.

“Let’s talk someplace more private. And with more space.”

“Agreed, your Highness.”

“ _ After _ we change into proper clothes.” Felix gestured towards everyone’s sleepwear.

“Of course.” Dimitri felt his face turn red at his suggestion. “Let’s all meet up at our homeroom in the Officer’s Academy when we are ready.”

The Blue Lions dispersed back to their bedrooms. As Dimitri shut the door behind him, the pages of his wall calendar fluttered in the breeze. His eyes were drawn to the movement and stayed there for a solid minute.. He wasn’t sure why it held such fascination for him until he peeled his attention away from it, opened his closet, and spotted the black uniform and blue cape that he hadn’t worn in a very long time.

Today was the 23rd day of the Great Tree Moon. A few days after he first met Byleth during a bandit attack. The day when she became a professor and chose to teach the Blue Lion house. That meant that later today, she will be roaming around the monastery to meet with potential students.

Will she remember the events of the future like Dimitri and the rest of his friends? He wanted to believe so. But the memory he tried to hard to suppress, the image of her being brutally eviscerated by the demonic Adrestian empress, left being a feeling of lingering doubt. In the end, he supposed he will find out eventually. And regardless of what happened to the professor, he will use her last words to forge a new purpose. To stop the war.


	2. The faces of ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dedue receives a much needed explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next few chapters will mostly be exposition, dialogue, and plotting. It may be a while before we can get to the fun stuff but we will get there eventually! Hopefully you can still enjoy this in the meanwhile. Thank you all for your kind comments and kudos!

All around him were the faces of ghosts.

There was Dedue, who laid down his life to save Dimitri from Cornelia’s execution. He was patiently waiting for his lord outside of his bedroom door. He still hasn’t decided whether to forgive him for abandoning him when he needed him the most. At least now he has time to sort out his feelings on the matter.

When they stepped out of the dormitories, they were greeted by a cheery Dorothea. The last time he saw her, she was older, more elegant, and unrelenting. She took part in the defense of Enbarr, along with a troop of Mittlefrank performers, and guarded the streets around the opera house with her very life. Dimitri commanded Ingrid to cut her down because she was the only one that could withstand her fiery spells. Nevermind that Dorothea once aided her during their time as students.

As they passed by the other rooms, Dimitri caught a fleeting glimpse of Bernadetta. The meek girl met her end during the battle of Grondor Field. She manned the ballista on the hill and remained there even as Edelgard set it ablaze. Sylvain put her out of her misery with a stab to the heart. Reportedly, she regretted dying in ‘a stupid big field’ rather than in her bedroom.

There was Ferdinand chatting with Lorenz by a garden. Both nobles were present at the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Although they took part in that skirmish for different reasons, they both fought with the same valiant spirit, and they both died at the hands of the crown prince.

And then he spotted the unmistakably pink hair of Hilda in the Golden Deer classroom. Oddly enough, Claude was no where to be seen. Perhaps the two of them weren’t particularly close yet. But Dimitri knew that they will be six years later, during the Alliance’s land stand at Derdriu. Hilda battled with such ferocity to protect Claude from Imperial troops. But she couldn’t hold out forever and was eventually slain by Lord Arundel, the commander of the invading army. Even though she was a member of the Alliance, Dimitri lamented her death as if she was one of his soldiers. 

All his life, Dimitri was surrounded by ghosts. But the ghosts that wander Garreg Mach now were different from the ghosts of his past. These ghosts said hello, waved a good morning, made idle small talk. They did not scream for vengeance nor did they demand the head of the Flame Emperor. But would they, if they knew that their lives ended in the near future? Because of a war Edelgard started? He tried not to dwell on such thoughts. But everytime he passed by a ghost, the scene of their death played out in front of him. He had to avert his gaze before they were twisted into haunting memories. 

Finally, he made it to the Blue Lions classroom, where he was surrounded by faces of the living. Their faces were younger but wore the looks of adults that have lived through war. As well as different hairstyles in the case of several people. Annette had let her hair down instead of styling it into ringed pigtails. Ingrid sported green ribbons on each side of her head. Mercedes didn’t cut her hair short just yet, but she did finger her voluminous ponytail constantly, as if she wasn’t used to it. Her hands ceased in their combing when she saw Dimitri arrive with a troubled expression.

“Dimitri, are you feeling alright?” Mercedes asked.

“I am fine. It’s just… difficult to walk among those we’ve once battled against.”

“I agree.” Ashe nodded unenthusiastically. “I spent so much time convincing myself that my former classmates were enemies and there’s nothing to be done about it. And now I have to think of them as allies again. I… Yeah, it is hard.” 

His voice quieted to a whisper at the end. The silence that fell soon after he finished mumbling served as an agreement from everyone else.

Everyone else except Felix. “Enough of the group therapy session. We need to figure out what exactly happened.”

“Tactlessness aside, he’s right.” Sylvain sighed. “And we should decide what to do next.”

“Hold on. Aren’t we forgetting someone here?” Annette gestured towards Dedue, who was taking this strange conversation in stride. A flicker of gratitude did cross his face when she pointed him out, but he otherwise remained as stoic as usual.

“As much as I do not wish to intrude, I am waiting for an explanation. If only to ensure that I can serve His Highness to the best of my abilities.”

“Of course.” Dimitri took a deep breath. Now came the hard part of actually telling him what happens within the next six years. What happen _ ed _ , rather.

He started slowly at first. He regalled him of the colorful year at the Officer’s Academy. Mock battles, intrusions, kidnappings, experimentations. There were some spots in his memories that others had to fill in. The most jarring bit of his story was having to explain to Dedue who Byleth was. He knew that she was the mercenary that saved the house leaders during a bandit attack, but he had no idea that she would become so important in the year to come. After that, Dedue remained emotionless throughout, only piping up to ask for more clarification once in a while. But when the year culminated with the Flame Emperor’s reveal, Edelgard’s declaration of war, and the fall of Garreg Mach, Dedue’s hands curled into fists and his usually serene expression grew darker.

“Your Highness. We cannot let a madwoman like her roam around the monastery freely. Surely you plan to execute her before her plans come to fruition?”

“I…” Dimitri hesitated. Six years ago, he would have most definitely agreed. But after regaining his senses, the answer didn’t come as readily. 

Luckily, Ingrid stepped in to force the lecture back on track. “Let him finish.”

“Thank you Ingrid. As I was saying…”

He continued on to explain the state of Fodlan during the war. How the Kingdom had crumbled after the king regent’s death, Cornelia’s coup, and Dimitri’s imprisonment. How the Empire took over much of the Kingdom’s land thanks in no small part to Cornelia. How the Alliance put up a facade of neutrality. And, when he finally worked up the courage, how Dedue sacrificed his life to save Dimitri.

Dedue remained silent. His face was inscrutable. It was more surprising to hear him speak up than what he actually had to say.

“I am glad that I remain dedicated to Your Highness in the future. And I would readily give my life to keep you safe a second time.”

“Please don’t.” Dimitri blurted out those words without realizing how much they shocked Dedue. His brows furrowed and his lips tightened as Dimitri tried to explain himself better. “Ah, I mean to say that you are irreplaceable. I may have continued to live after your sacrifice, but I was not alive. Not in the slightest. Without someone like you by my side, I…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence. He couldn’t talk about his life in the slums, the nightmares that persisted even while awake, nor how he tore an eye out during a delusional fit. Events that might not had happened if Dedue was still around. He never talked intimately about such things to anyone, save with Byleth. Thankfully, his friends sensed what ailed him and stepped in to pick up the slack.

“It wasn’t just Dimitri who missed you. We all did.” Mercedes bowed her head. 

“Yeah. You were a friend to everyone.” Ashe said with a smile. “You were so thoughtful, always willing to lend a hand, and a great chef too!”

“And your disappearance made battles more difficult. We had to rethink a lot of our strategies because we didn’t have anyone that would blindly charge in with a single order and shield us from an entire platoon.”

“Well, we had Gilbert, but he wasn’t quite as robust as you. Old age takes a toll on anyone.”

“Felix! Don’t say things like that! And Sylvain, that’s my dad you’re talking about!” Annette pouted. The latter simply chuckled an apology and the former shrugged off her retort with his own.

“What? It’s true.” 

“Regardless, we all grieved at your passing, and the Blue Lions was left with a gaping hole that could never be filled.” Dimitri spoke up before their argument continued. “I hope you understand how important you are to us. Please promise not to throw away your life so hastily.”

Dedue did not say anything at first. But his faintest of smiles said what he couldn’t put into words. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed towards the Blue Lions. “I… I am touched that you all feel this way about me. Even though I have only just met many of you, I can sense how much my future self has impacted you all. If this is what everyone desires, then I shall promise not make any pointless sacrifices. But let it be known that I still have a duty to perform. I will still strive to protect His Highness no matter what. ” 

“Thank you, Dedue.” Dimitri nodded. He secretly wished that his retainer would promise this because he valued his own life and not because he and the others told him to. But Dedue wouldn’t be Dedue without his steadfast loyalty. And perhaps this Dedue will grow out his self-sacrificial attitude, now that he was told about his gruesome fate.

“So, Your Highness, what happened after your escape?”

“Well…” Dimitri could feel the Blue Lions’ expectant eyes resting upon him. Since he rarely opened up about the gap between the coup and the reunion at Garreg Mach, they were all so eager to know what happened to him. But he would have to disappoint them again. Those years remained too painful to recount. And nothing important happened in that timespan. 

Instead, he skipped straight to his meeting with Byleth at the Goddess Tower and the subsequent fight against bandits. Then he moved straight onto the various missions they undertook to defend Garreg Mach, reclaim the Kingdom, and march onto Enbarr. Dimitri was forced to talk about his feral demeanor and obsession for revenge to explain why he didn’t liberate the Kingdom immediately. It wasn’t a pleasant task to discuss something he deeply regretted, but it was necessary. To gloss over it would be to pretend it didn’t happen at all. Dedue took the revelation surprisingly well, as if he knew about his murderous tendencies already. The lack of a reaction from the other man made it easier for Dimitri to continue onto Rodrigue’s death and how it changed his outlook on the war and on life for the better. After that, Dimitri was able to tell his story more readily since the events were more recent and his mind wasn’t as clouded back then. When he reached the parley with Edelgard that occured before the attack on Enbarr, he was finally able to answer Dedue’s question on why he didn’t want to execute her right away. Thankfully it looked like he understood, judging by the ponderous look on his face. Then Dimitri concluded his summation of the future with the invasion of the Imperial castle, Edelgard’s monstrous transformation, and Byleth’s death that had disturbed the flow of time so much, it sent them all back to the beginning of the school year.

“So you think the rewind is the professor’s fault?” Sylvain asked after Dimitri finished.

“It has to be. We all saw the stone that Edelgard had pulled out and how it was the center of the spell she casted with her dying breath.”

“I remember that. It just seemed… surreal.” He rubbed his eyes with his hands as if he couldn’t trust what he saw.

“Does that mean that the professor had these time manipulation powers all along?” Ingrid spoke in a manner that suggested she was thinking to herself rather than opening that question to her friends. But everyone had the same thought on their mind, and one by one, they began entertaining the possibility.

“It does make sense.” Dimitri nodded. “You guys weren’t here for this, but during the bandit ambush when Edelgard, Claude, and I first met Professor, she blocked a blow from the bandit leader for Edelgard. But the way she moved… she knew exactly when and how he was going to attack.”

“And later on, during the mission when we fought Miklan, she knew ahead of time when reinforcements appeared from behind us.” Annette chimed in. “She sent me, my father, Mercie, and Felix to stop them before they even showed up!”

“Oh yes, now that you mentioned that, I did think that was odd.” Mercedes agreed. “And this other time…”

The Blue Lions shared stories amongst each other when Byleth’s strange ways could only be explained by a mysterious power over time. Now that he was thinking about it more, Dimitri honestly felt a little betrayed that she hadn’t confided in him about this before. Such an ability could have turned the tides of war and prevented so many needless deaths. But really, perhaps it was better that she kept it a secret. It was also a dangerous talent, one that could also ruin the world if the wrong people found out about it. He shuddered while imagining what would have happened if he knew about her powers during his bloodthirsty days.

“Do you suppose that she remembers all of this too?” Ashe inquired.

“I’d say it’s likely.” Sylvain replied. “Why wouldn’t she, if she was the one that sent us all back in time?”

“That’s what I was thinking too. But maybe…” The young archer’s voice trailed off again. Dimitri could tell that he had the same doubts that he did earlier. She used her powers as her heart was torn right out of her. As much as Dimitri didn’t want to believe it, there was a chance that something went wrong. Maybe, despite her last words, she didn’t intend to bring them back at all.

“There’s no use in wondering about. Let’s just ask Professor directly.” Felix scoffed.

“Yeah. Let’s.” Sylvain agreed. “But where is she anyway?”

“Oh! Isn’t today the day she’s introduced to us and becomes our teacher?” Mercedes pointed out. 

Everyone except Dedue was immediately sent into a tizzy after she said that. It would be completely improper to ask a supposed stranger if she used her goddess-like powers to send them into the past. Especially if said stranger didn’t actually remember doing that, or didn’t even do that in the first place. It would also make them look like maniacs and arouse suspicions to any outsiders listening in. To make matters worse, the monastery bells rang, indicating the start of a new day. They had spent most of the early morning explaining things to Dedue, and now they barely had any time to discuss any plans.

“Just act natural.” Dimitri told everyone. “If Professor recalls any of this, she will indicate it somehow. Then we can confront her about it. Until then, don’t come off too strongly.”

“Alright.”

“Sounds good.”

“If we’re going to act ‘natural’, we shouldn’t all huddle in here like a bunch of conspirators. We should spread out.”

“I agree with Felix. It’s getting way too stuffy in here anyway.”

“Um, what if the professor doesn’t mention anything?”

Dimitri turned to Mercedes as if to respond, but nothing came to his mind. He had no answer for her because honestly, he didn’t want to even consider it. If he even gave credit to the notion that Byleth didn’t remember a single thing, then it might actually be true, and then he really wouldn’t know what to do next.

Eventually, as the others dispersed to the lawn outside the classroom, he shrugged and spat out a weak reply. “Then we will deal with it later. For now, let’s focus on the task ahead.”


	3. Last time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth reappears. Dimitri tells everyone to act natural, but he doesn't take his own advice.

The last time he saw her, she was on the brink of death.

Now, Byleth was positively radiant. Her expression was calm and collected instead of contorted with pain. Her body was wholly intact, without a single blood splatter on her. Her hair had reverted to its original dark teal color and her eyes were as deep blue as a bottomless lake.

Those eyes betrayed not a hint of emotion as they scanned over the Officer’s Academy. She eventually caught sight of Dimitri, who was idling outside of the Blue Lion’s classroom. She did not smile as she walked over, but he could tell after spending more than six years with her that she was delighted to see him.

“Oh, Professor-”

“There’s no need to call me that. I’m not your teacher yet after all.”

Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotions. She spoke like she did when she first met Dimitri, before she grew to love her life at the monastery. His heart skipped a beat upon sensing the first sign that something was wrong. But perhaps he was being too dramatic. Maybe she was pretending to be her past self, to ward off any suspicion. That was what he was doing to her anyway.

“Of course. My apologies.” He managed to stammer out. 

Byleth’s attention wandered towards the students lingering inside and outside of the classroom. There was no hint of recognition in her stare. Was that a second sign of trouble? While she was silently evaluating the youngsters around her, Dimitri continued to speak as if nothing was amiss.

“But regardless, let me congratulate you on your new position. The Blue Lions and I are looking forward to working with you. Ah, that is, if you choose to lead our house.” He silently wracked his brain in order to recall what he said to her back then. But it was hard to remember what he was feeling, much less an exact conversation. He could only hope that his improvisation doesn’t seem too strange.

“Have you got a chance to speak to the class? Is there anyone that you would like to know more about?”

After those questions escaped his lips, he mentally slapped himself on the forehead. Of course she didn’t get the chance to speak to anyone else yet. She just came over to say hello to Dimitri. 

Luckily she didn’t seem to mind his presumptuous question. “Please hold that thought. I would like to talk with the students first myself.”

“Alright.” Dimitri replied as she slipped into the classroom. All eyes were drawn to her in an instant. A few of those eyes then turned to their house leader, silently pleading for guidance. Dimitri could only mouth his advice to Annette, Mercedes, Ashe, and Dedue while Byleth’s back faced him.

‘Don’t panic. Act natural.’

Unfortunately, they didn’t heed his suggestion very well and acted the complete opposite of natural. Ashe was so nervous that he could only stutter out a ‘hello’ at first. By the time he regained his composure, Byleth had moved onto the dynamic duo of Annette and Mercedes. The former would have jumped her and embraced her in a tremendous hug if it wasn’t for the restraint from the latter. As Mercedes tightly held onto Annette’s arm, she dismissed her friend’s enthusiasm as gratitude for saving Dimitri’s life the other day. Then she offered her own thanks, as well as a proper introduction of herself. But the way she spoke was too warm for a stranger, as if she was speaking to an old friend. Luckily, Byleth didn’t seem to notice the discrepancy and had a pleasant chat with the two girls before turning to Dedue. Since he had no prior familiarity with Byleth beyond what Dimitri just explained to him, he was able to react appropriately to her introduction. He greeted her with a stern expression, a few grateful words for helping His Highness, and a courteous bow. His perfect display of how one should act made Dimitri self-conscious about his own miserable performance earlier.

While Byleth mingled with those inside the classroom, the remaining three Blue Lions approached Dimitri. Felix, Ingrid, and Sylvain watched her interactions silently at first, then spoke up when they started having the same doubts as him.

“She’s not the professor we know.” Felix muttered with a scowl.

“Or she could be pretending.” Dimitri didn’t want to give up yet, despite the obvious signs.

“The professor isn’t _ that _ good at lying. She’s emotionless, yes. But also honest. She lets us know if something is up, consciously or not.”

“I still think we should just ask her about it.” Sylvain had that look on his face that suggested that he was up to something.

“And how are you planning to do that?” Ingrid glared at him. “I’m sure the others have weirded her out already, so you better not make things worse.”

“Oh, I’m not going to ask her directly. Just watch.”

Before anyone could stop him, Sylvain sauntered right in and right up to Byleth. Dimitri feared the worst as he suddenly remembered Sylvain’s first meeting with the professor. He attempted to flirt with her, like he did with all attractive women, but Byleth saw right through him and abruptly ended the conversation right then and there. Dimitri had to apologize for his classmate’s behavior when she asked about him later.

It seemed that he was approaching her differently this time, however. Sylvain greeted Byleth with a wave and a smile.

“Say, you look familiar…” He paused while he ‘tried’ to remember how he recognized her. “Oh! Didn’t you help us drive away a band of thieves from House Gautier territory?”

Byleth just stared blankly at Sylvain. She rested her cheek against her hands while she let out a thoughtful ‘hmm’.

“Yeah, that’s definitely where I met you.” He continued on. “You actually saved me when I charged in against a group of bandits and they all ganged up on me. And then after we won that battle, I invited you out to dinner.”

“What is he talking about.” Felix hissed. It looked like he was about to head inside and drag Sylvain away, but he stayed right where he was. 

Apart from the dinner, Dimitri clearly remembered the mission he spoke of. Margrave Gautier requested Sylvain to drive out thieves that were once lead by his crestless brother, Miklan. Along with a notable monetary reward (and a dinner from the professor apparently), he also received House Gautier’s relic, the Lance of Ruin. 

It seemed like Byleth recalled none of that, however. A hint of confusion tinged her face as she studied the young man in front of her.

“Apologies. You must have mistaken me for someone else. I have never met you before.”

An awkward silence fell over the classroom, driving the verbal dagger deeper into Sylvain. He looked absolutely flabbergasted for a moment. Then he shrugged off what she just said and recovered his friendly smile.

“Eh. No worries. It was a long time ago, so I may be misremembering things. But you’re really sure that you have no idea what I’m talking about? I don’t forget a lovely face like yours so easily. Perhaps when you have time, I can treat you to dinner and talk about the battle more-”

“Ok that’s enough!” Ingrid stomped over to Sylvain’s side and pulled him away before he could finish his sentence. Her fearsome scowl turned into a sweet smile her attention shifted from Sylvain to Byleth and her voice took on a gentler tone. “I must apologize for Sylvain’s behavior. He’s been flirting with girls since forever and doesn’t know _ when it’s not appropriate! _”

She aimed those venomous last words at Sylvain, who gave her a sheepish smile in return. “Hey, I wasn’t thinking of chatting her up at first. I truly thought I recognized her, and it went on from there.”

“Sure you did. But where are my manners?” Ingrid turned back to Byleth. “I should be introducing myself instead of keeping my thoughtless friend in line. My name is Ingrid Brandl Galatea…”

Byleth didn’t seem perturbed by Sylvain’s advances and Ingrid’s subsequent actions. In fact, she appeared downright amused by them. Their antics served as an interesting topic to start their conversation. Felix eventually joined in with a few words of his own. But while the other two were drawn into their discussion, he remained distant, as if still uneasy about this version of Byleth.

Eventually, Byleth had acquainted herself with all the Blue Lions. She had spent quite a bit of time in here, so Dimitri was surprised when she still wanted to take up his earlier offer.

“What are the Blue Lions like? In your opinion.” She asked.

“Well… they’re a varied group. Each member has their own strengths and weaknesses. But we all share an aptitude for battle and a strong sense of honor and chivalry. That comes with being citizens of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus.”

He had seen those attributes from his friends, time and time again. They never failed him during the war against the Empire and they never strayed from Dimitri’s side, even when he made questionable decisions.

“I see. Can you tell me more about Felix?”

Dimitri closed his eyes. The memories of Felix berating him, calling him the boar prince, and clashing with him in the training grounds sprang to the forefront of his mind. But he also recalled how he hovered over him, always watching, when Dimitri lost his mind. How despite his rebellious attitude, he always cut down any and all foes that threatened the crown prince.

“Felix is… a friend. We’ve known each other since we were children. He has a sharp tongue but also unwavering loyalty.”

“What about Sylvain then?”

“He’s another friend of mine and Felix. He may look like a skirt-chaser now, but later...”

The red-headed knight grew out of his womanizing tendencies. The two of them bonded over conversations about the future of Fódlan and the Crest system. During those talks, Sylvain once confided in Dimitri that the Lance of Ruin made him uneasy because it was the weapon that killed his brother and it symbolized the Crest-related torment that plagued him throughout his life. But during the war, he grew to tolerate it and made it into his signature weapon. 

“Later?”

“Later he’ll be a fine young man. I’m sure of it.” 

“Uh huh.” Byleth gave the slightest of nods. “And I’m assuming Ingrid is yet another friend.”

“You would be correct. She is incredibly loyal, driven, and chivalrous. But sometimes, she regards knighthood much too highly. I wish that she would...”

When he thought about Ingrid, he couldn’t see anything else but a blur of white feathers and fur in the sky and the orange glow of her Hero’s Relic, Lúin. She was startlingly accustomed to war and never hesitated to cut down foes from above. It was all part of her desire to emulate Glenn, her deceased fiance and role model. They had a spat about this once, and he wished that she wouldn’t idealize a tragic death that weighed heavily on his heart. Lest she suffered the same fate as Glenn and haunted him as a ghost too.

“She would?”

“She would relax about it. My apologies, my mind isn’t very clear right now.” Dimitri rubbed his temples. There was a start of a headache coming, thanks to his flashbacks of the war. “I wouldn’t mind if you wished to speak with someone else. I can’t seem to carry the conversation.”

“I don’t mind at all. This is… very interesting.” The way she pronounced that last word indicated that she didn’t mean interesting in a good way. But she nonetheless remained focused on Dimitri. “How about Annette?”

At least he had better memories of this Blue Lion. His introduction of her came more readily. “Annette is the... niece of Baron Dominic. She enrolled in the Royal School of Sorcery and earned her place here with her high scores. She came here to- Ah, that is to say, she is very upbeat and hard working.”

He almost let slip that she came here to reconnect with her father, a former knight of the royal family. Her strained relationship with Gilbert, also known as Gustave, seemed to be the only thing that put a damper on her spirits. And now that they were in the past, he would have to see her struggle all over again. But maybe, thanks to their future knowledge, things will be different this time. He could only hope so, for Annette’s sake.

“And Mercedes?”

“Mercedes was born to a noble family in the Adrestian Empire. But a series of events led to her adoption by a merchant and her enrollment at the Officer’s academy. She is a gentle and compassionate soul. I don’t believe I have heard her utter a mean word to anyone.”

Not even to her enemies. She always prayed for the souls she took during battles, and her prayers for forgiveness and peace occurred more frequently as the war went on. She even reached out to one of their most dangerous enemies, the Death Knight, who was actually her half-brother Emile. He could still see her delicate frame cradling his broken body, shedding tears for a family member she could not save.

“Tell me about Ashe next.”

“Certainly. Ashe was the adopted son of Lord Lonato, but he was born a commoner.”

“Was?” Byleth raised an eyebrow.

“Is. I meant that he is the son of Lord Lonato.” Dimitri hastily corrected himself. He had to remember that the older noble was still alive at this point in time. “He’s incredibly eager to learn and he wishes to become a gallant knight like the ones only found in storybooks.”

Like Ingrid, Ashe valued chivalry and loyalty above all else. But unlike her, his ideals were called into question when he had to take up arms against his adoptive father. He was taught a valuable lesson the hard way; the lesson that lives had to be taken during war. And although he maintained a bright disposition on the outside, Dimitri could sense that lesson eating away at him as time went by.

“How about Dedue?”

“Dedue is…”

It should have been easy to describe him. Yet, he couldn’t. Dedue was a man only loyal to Dimitri, more loyal than he deserved. He was also one of his only friends after the Tragedy of Duscur. But then he was killed and Dimitri had no hopes of ever seeing him again. Until a strange twist of fate brought him back. What was he supposed to feel about him after years of his absence? And how was he going to put that into words for Byleth?

“Dimitri? Are you alright?”

Her concerned eyes pulled him out of his thoughts. “Oh. Right. I’m sorry. Dedue has been loyally working in my service for the past four years. He may not talk much, but he’s a good-natured person. Don’t let the fact that he’s from Duscur intimidate you.”

“I’m not concerned with the place of one’s birth.”

“I am glad to hear that.” Dimitri nodded. “But that’s not the only thing you should know about him. He also likes to garden and is an excellent cook. It would do him well if you could connect with him through those hobbies. If only so that I am not his sole fixation.”

“I… see.” Byleth’s lips pursed into a thin line. He realized too late that his ramblings about Dedue were a bit more personal than what was necessary. He cursed himself for failing to keep his thoughts from reaching his mouth during the last student’s introduction. 

But no. He wasn’t actually the last one. A feeling of dread washed over him as Byleth spoke. “And now. Tell me about yourself.” 

He wanted to tell her all sorts of things. How he learned so much from her classes. How enraptured he was when she returned to him. How he relied on her so much, both on and off the battlefield. And how he received her final instructions to end the war loud and clear.

But these weren’t things to say to a stranger, nor to someone acting like a stranger. He inhaled deeply and shoved those feelings to the back of mind. “I… I must apologize. I have a bit of a storied past that I can’t discuss right now. But troubled history aside, I am the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. I must learn all I can during my time at the Officer’s Academy. And I hope that you will help me prepare for the future by becoming my professor.”

Byleth’s expression didn’t change after his speech. Was he being too direct? Even if this Byleth was actually from the past, she would surely choose the Blue Lions again, right? They still had whatever qualities attracted her to their house in the first place.

“Thank you. I will take this into consideration.” She stated simply before turning away.

* * *

Dimitri did not talk with Byleth again for the rest of the afternoon. She went on to interview the Golden Deer class, and then returned to the audience chamber to meet with Archbishop Rhea. It would take some time for them to make an announcement about professor assignments. So the Blue Lions opted to meet in the dining hall for a late breakfast. They were the only ones in this room due to the time so they had all the privacy they needed. And all the food they could ever want too. When the serving staff handed Dimitri a generous bowl of oatmeal, fruits, and pastries, he almost protested. Such large helpings would be wasteful during war. But fortunately for him, there wasn’t a war going on right now.

“She didn’t remember me at all.” Sylvain moaned as he absentmindedly stirred his oatmeal. 

“It was a good try though. Don’t be disheartened.” Mercedes patted him on the back.

“It was _ not _ a good try.” Ingrid retorted in between mouthfuls of food. “You went right back to flirting with the professor! Have you no shame? It’s like you’ve regressed back to your younger self!”

“That’s the point! We all needed to act as we did five years ago, For me, that means I need to pick up my persona as a philander again.”

“At least Ingrid slipped into her no-fun-allowed-especially-for-Sylvain role quite naturally.” Felix mumbled. Ingrid shot him a dirty look in return.

“But guys, we have a slightly bigger problem.” Ashe piped up. “If the professor doesn’t recall anything from the future, what are we going to do?”

“That is a very good question.” Dimitri sighed. He still didn’t want to consider it, but Byleth’s reaction to Sylvain was the last strike for him. If they wanted to change the future for the better, he needed to accept the probability and account for it sooner rather than later.

But apparently some of the Blue Lions weren’t on the same page as him. “What do you mean ‘what are we going to do’?” Felix asked. 

“I mean, how are we going to stop this war? I assumed that’s why we were sent back in time.”

“Well, maybe it’s not the reason _ why _. But it’s still something we have to do now that we’re in the past.” Annette remarked.

“Pft. We don’t need the professor’s help for that.” Felix rolled his eyes. “How hard is it to kill those responsible? Solon, Kronya, Cornelia, possibly even Edelgard.”

“Shh! Not so loud!” Ingrid spared furtive glances around the dining hall as she shushed him. Thankfully, they were far away from the kitchen staff, so they showed no signs of eavesdropping.

“I don’t want to kill Edelgard.” Not yet, anyway. Dimitri didn’t dare to voice that last part out loud, as it would undermine his confident proclamation.

“Why not? You know how unrelenting she was during the battle of Enbarr. She’s not going to give up her plans with a few pretty words.”

“Or a dagger.” Sylvain interjected.

“This is… The Edelgard of six years ago isn’t the same as Emperor Edelgard. I may have a chance to change her mind when we’re not at total war with each other.”

And when he wasn’t tortured with ghosts of the past. Dimitri loathed to admit that his singular goal for vengeance might have dashed any hope for reconciliation at the academy. But this time, he had a clearer mind and a nobler mission. He will not botch this again. 

Even though his friends seemed to think otherwise. “Uh, are you certain about that? She’s still the Flame Emperor, and responsible for a lot of bad stuff that happened throughout the school year.”

“I can at least try, can’t I Sylvain? Besides, killing her now may cause worse consequences down the road.”

“Yeah. We shouldn’t speak so casually of regicide.” Annette shook her head. “If she died, there would be a major upheaval in the Empire, and the war might begin again anyway.”

“And I do agree that we should give her a chance first.” Mercedes chimed in. “I plan to have a lengthy talk with Emile this time. And if he can be saved, then why can’t Edelgard?”

“I don’t think the Death Knight is going to be swayed by words either.” Felix glowered. 

“Are you suggesting that I should give up on him too?”

“Not exactly. But if you haven’t noticed, he’s the kind of person that values a good fight over a good discussion.”

“So you’re saying I need to beat him in order to win him over?” Mercedes frowned.

“I think we’re getting a little off topic here.” Dimitri interrupted. “We can decide what to do about the others later. But Byleth is more of a pressing concern. Our movements will be more limited if she isn’t in on our plans. We are still students after all, and don’t exactly have a plethora of privileges or free time.”

“Why don’t we just tell her about all this then?” Sylvain suggested.

“Because it’s a lot to offload on a technical stranger?” Annette replied. “She doesn’t have any reason to believe us.”

“Annette is correct. If anyone other than His Highness told me all that transpired in the upcoming years, I would have dismissed them as a lunatic.” Dedue spoke up suddenly.

“So we don’t tell her?”

“Yes. I suppose that’s the best course of action for now.” Dimitri concluded. “And we will have to figure this out by ourselves.”

“But we won’t really be by ourselves. The professor will still lead our class, with or without her memories. She will still be able to help us with everything else.” Mercedes smiled as she said that.

“That’s true.” Dimitri was about to say more when the door to the dining hall opened. He expected a gaggle of students to arrive for a late breakfast like them, but it was just Cyril. His suddenly youthful appearance caught him off guard and he didn’t notice that he was heading towards them until he was right at their table.

“Finally found ya. Uh, Rhea would like to introduce your new professor at the Blue Lions classroom. Please head on over there as soon as possible.”

“Right. Thank you Cyril.” Dimitri’s thanks startled the boy enough to make him freeze in place for a few seconds. Then he bowed and scampered off in a flash.

The Blue Lions cleaned up their table and made their way outside. All that they recently discussed still danced around in Dimitri’s mind. He thought of more arguments to be made and so many more details to be ironed out. There was no doubt that they’ll have to have another meeting later on. But for now, he needed to steel himself with the inevitable encounter ahead. He did his best to recall this moment six years ago and the kind of things that were said, as he had no desire to be constantly fumbling over his words this time. Once he adequately prepared himself, he took a deep breath and turned the corner.

In the classroom stood the Archbishop, a tall and elegant woman with flowing robes and an extravagant headpiece of gold and lilies. She would normally command the attention of everyone around her. But Dimitri’s gaze was immediately attracted to an older man next to her with greying hair and mustache, a classy monocle, and robes of a scholar. Upon seeing the youngsters file in, his face lit up with a smile and he launched into his introduction.

“Greetings! For those of you who aren’t already acquainted with me, I am Professor Hanneman von Essar. I will be leading your house for this school year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates might slow down a bit since I'm running out of prewritten chapters. But at least I'm getting all the exposition out of the way. Thanks for sticking with me!


	4. Messed up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri and Byleth have a long talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I want to thank everyone for all the comments and kudos last chapter. Tbh I wanted Byleth's choice to be a plot twist but I didn't know if it was too obvious or not. The fact that I caught some people by surprise means a lot to me.

“How did you mess up this badly?!” 

Felix’s voice dripped with rage and his eyes brimmed with contempt. He would have punched Dimitri in the face if it weren’t for the prince’s bodyguard next to him. Instead, he slammed his fists on a nearby table, the impact reverberating throughout the room.

And he had every right to be angry. After the Blue Lions got over their initial shock of being taught by someone other than Byleth, they secluded themselves in a private room and started questioning what went wrong. Felix, being Felix, automatically assumed that Dimitri’s long talk with Byleth scared her away from their class. And Dimitri, being Dimitri, owned up to his mistakes.

“I’m so very sorry that this happened.” He mumbled. “I wasn’t in the right mind after all that had happened today. I should have stuck with basic answers to her questions.”

“It’s not entirely your fault.” Ashe spoke up so Dimitri wouldn’t take all the blame. “When the professor approached me, I was so nervous, I couldn’t even manage a single word. I can’t help but wonder if she thinks that I’m a complete moron.”

“And I would have jumped her if it wasn’t for Mercie’s intervention!” Annette exclaimed. “Now that would have been a totally bone-headed move.”

“Don’t forget Sylvain’s stellar performance too.” Ingrid sighed.

“It wasn’t that bad!”

“Point being, none of us were perfect.” Mercedes chimed in before Sylvain and Ingrid got into another argument. “It’s a difficult task to act like we are just ordinary students when we’ve already been through so much. For instance, the professor died only a few hours ago for us. That’s something that normally takes a very long time to recover from.”

“That’s how it has to be.” Felix grumbled. His rage has subsided for now, but he still regarded Dimitri bitterly. “If we want to change the future, we have to start working on the present now.”

“For once, I agree with you.” Dimitri nodded. “And the first thing I’m going to do is bring the professor back to our class.”

“You can’t possibly mean that.”

“I do, Felix. We all know that she belongs with us. Not with… the Black Eagles.”

As if to rub salt in their wounds, they later learned that Byleth had chosen to teach the Black Eagle house. The house led by the Adrestian Empire’s future leader and the Blue Lions’ future enemy. Edelgard. If there was any lingering hope that the professor was still pretending at this point, it was completely and utterly demolished by that reveal.

“I agree with you. But what are you going to say to her that will change her mind and not come off like an obsessive stalker in the process?” Ingrid wore a small scowl on her face as she crossed her arms.

“I will think of something.” 

“Who says we’re going to let the boar talk to the professor?” Felix’s nickname for Dimitri caught him off guard. He hadn’t used it in a while so his words ended up wounding him more deeply. “He did enough damage for one day.”

“Well, what do you suggest then?” Annette frowned.

“We work this out by ourselves. We have all the skills and knowledge we need. There’s no reason to drag an unwilling stranger into this.”

“But what if the unwilling stranger becomes our enemy later?” Mercedes pointed out. Upon hearing that, Felix shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

“Look, there’s no need to go that far yet. I just think that we actually have to be honest with her and tell her everything now.” Sylvain spoke up. 

“Weren’t you listening? I said we  _ don’t _ want to come off like an obsessive stalker.”

“It’s hardly stalker-ish. Once we mention her time rewinding ability, she’ll listen to everything else we have to say. Dimitri said that she used it the first time she met him, during the bandit fight, right?”

“It’s just a hunch. I’m not 100% sure that’s what happened.” 

“A hunch is fine too.” Sylvain shrugged off Dimitri’s protest. “Point being, we know a wildly improbable secret of hers. If we open with that, it’s hard to screw up the rest of the conversation. I’ll even go with His Highness to make sure nothing goes wrong.” 

“The boar and the womanizer together? I can’t see anything going wrong.” Felix rolled his eyes.

“Yeaaah. No offense Sylvain, but I don’t think you’re the best person for the job.” Annette reluctantly agreed.

“Ok, ok. It doesn’t have to be me. Who else should go then?”

Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Mercedes. She let out a gasp when she was unanimously voted as the other Blue Lions representative, but accepted her new role with a gentle smile.

“If you all think I should come with Dimitri, then I will do my best to keep him in line.”

“I hope that you shouldn’t have to rein me in, but thank you.” With the way she worded that, it sounded like Dimitri was going to throw a temper tantrum in Byleth’s office because she didn’t choose his house. But he obviously wasn’t going to act as childish as that. Still, there was a possibility that he would be as tongue-twisted as last time. But with Mercedes by his side, he should be able to work through any struggle. Or at the very least, she could carry the conversation if he couldn’t.

“Are we going to speak with the professor now?”

“Later tonight would be best. Perhaps after dinner? Let her settle down first before we overwhelm her with what we have to say. And then let’s meet up again afterwards.”

* * *

The monastery eventually quieted down as the sun sank below the horizon. Students retreated to their rooms, knights vacated the training grounds, and the skies were clear of aerial patrols. The only beings that still loitered outside of the dormitories were a number of stray cats and two students on a mission. It would have been three students if Dimiti hadn’t convinced Dedue to take his leave for this meeting. He was reluctant to do so at first, stating that it seemed just as dangerous as an actual battle. But then he relented when Dimitri pointed out that having a third presence might intimidate the professor too much. And Dedue’s room was right next to Byleth’s, so if they needed help, he was already close by.

As he approached the door, voices could be heard inside. The two feminine voices were familiar to Dimitri, although he didn’t expect one of them to be there. He knocked on the door anyway. His raps caused the voices to cease. The professor’s curious gaze greeted him as she opened the door. Behind her, Dimitri spotted a face that caused him to freeze up.

“Hm? What do you need of my professor so late in the day?” Edelgard asked coolly. She looked nothing like the emperor that caused a continent-wide war, nor like the demon that slayed Byleth. Her pale hair was tied with purple ribbons that matched the hue of her wide eyes. She wore the black and gold academy uniform instead of the regal crimson armor of the Adrestian royal family. And she regarded him in a polite manner, as if they were both just students at the Officer’s Academy and not bitter enemies.

Still, just looking at her and hearing her gave him a headache. Especially with how she claimed Byleth as  _ her _ professor. He became extremely conscious of the stares being burnt into his soul and opened his mouth to ward them off, but nothing came out. He could only stand there with a slack jaw and the faintest of voices whispering into his ears.

Luckily, Mercedes swooped in for the rescue. Her gentle tone chased away the demons that threatened to haunt him. “Oh, we were hoping to have a chat with her. That’s all.”

“Just a chat?” Edelgard raised an eyebrow. She casted a judgmental look towards both of them and Dimitri feared for the worst. Several tense seconds passed before she shrugged and opened the door further.

“I’m pretty much finished here anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow, professor?”

Byleth nodded in response. As Edelgard passed by the two of them on the way out, she beckoned towards a shadow in the room to come along with her. To Dimitri’s surprise, Hubert sprang up out of nowhere and followed his master outside. He shot him a pointed glare before disappearing into the night with Edelgard.

“So what brings you two here?” Byleth asked as Dimitri closed the door behind him.

“It’s… a long story. You may want to get comfortable for this.”

“Oh? Are you going to tell me about your past?” 

“No. Not quite.” Dimitri cringed when she brought up what he said to her earlier. Right now, he was going to focus more on their future rather than his past.

He took a deep breath. Dimitri had no clue how she was going to react to what he was about to say. Would she hang onto his every word like Sylvain thought? Or would she refuse to listen to them anymore and throw them out of her room? The last scenario was too dramatic to be realistic, but there was definitely a possibility of making things worse. He glanced at Mercedes, who appeared as calm and unperturbed as always. She said nothing, but her eyes gave him silent encouragement to go ahead.

He took another deep breath. “Professor, I’m going to be truthful, so I hope that you will be honest with me as well. Do you have time manipulation powers?”

Time froze. Not in the literal sense. But the three of them were motionless for a few agonizing moments. Byleth’s eyes were wide in shock and her mouth was slightly agape. She appeared more astonished than he had ever seen her, even during the years he had known her. Yet while she was stunned, she surveyed the expressions on Dimitri’s and Mercedes’s face, grasping for any clues to their revelation. All while not uttering a single word.

Did he bring it up too quickly? Dimitri knew what it was like to accidentally break things with his immense strength. But it surprised him when he realized that he broke the professor with the wrong sentence. He wanted to say something, anything, to make her feel better. Yet his mind refused to work. 

The awkward silence would have dragged on if it weren’t for Mercedes. “You don’t have to say yes or no if you don’t want to. We just wanted to tell you a story about something that happened if you did have such powers.”

“R-right. A story.” That’s it. Dimitri could phrase everything in a hypothetical way so Byleth wouldn’t feel so confronted. He cleared his throat before beginning. 

“I ask this because, once upon a time, you led the Blue Lions instead of the Black Eagles. Then a war broke out and lasted for five years. You allied with your former students. During the final battle, something terrible happened, and you used your powers to send them back to the beginning of the school year. The Blue Lions all remembered what happened, but it seemed like you didn’t.”

Dimitri was careful not to shock her more by recounting Edelgard’s betrayal nor Byleth’s own death. She was already sufficiently traumatized, judging by her now downward cast and subtle shuddering. While she processed his words, he wondered if this was the right course of action. If she needed to be burdened with knowledge of the future. She could have been a blissfully unaware teacher, content with the present and taking upcoming twists of fate in stride.

Suddenly feeling apologetic, he sought to recant what he said. “Of course, this is all a big ‘what if’. If you cannot actually send people to the past, then you can consider this as a mere fairy tale. Don’t dwell on its implications too much. Mercedes and I will leave-”

“Yes. I do have time manipulation powers.” Byleth glanced up. Her eyes were no longer the size of saucers and her voice took on a new confident tone.

“Oh! So you do?” Mercedes smiled. “That means our story could have happened?”

“Not just ‘could have’. It did happen, didn’t it?” 

“Yes. I am sorry to say.” Dimitri sighed. 

“Don’t apologize. I should be the one that’s sorry. I intend to use my powers to save people from certain death. And if the situation is so dire in the future that I have to use it on all of you, that means I have failed.”

“It wasn’t your fault. You were the strongest fighter among all of us. If you couldn’t stop it, then none of us can.” He instinctively spoke up in order to reassure her. It pained Dimitri so much to see a younger Byleth beating herself up over the actions of an older Byleth. 

“But now we do have a chance to stop this, thanks to you. We can prevent the war from ever happening.” Mercedes’s smile grew brighter.

“How do you plan on accomplishing that?”

“We haven’t sorted out all the details yet. There are definitely some key people we need to eliminate and certain schemes we need to thwart. But because we are mere students, such goals won’t be easily reached without cooperation from our professor.”

“You mean Professor Hanneman?”

“No. I meant you. You are our professor.”

Dimitri didn’t mean to slight the old man. He possessed a brilliant mind and a heart just as kind as Byleth’s. But he couldn’t envision Hanneman masterfully leading them into battle. He wasn’t the kind of man to have friendly meals with his students nor join them in fishing tournaments. And he could never see him offering his hand to guide Dimitri out of his darkest days and to renew his purpose for living. Not like her.

He had half a mind to explain that to Byleth. He already told her about everything else after all. But she spoke up before he could. “I appreciate the thought. However, it would reflect poorly on me if I switched classes right after a mysterious visit from the Blue Lions house leader.”

“Huh. Yeah, that would look bad, wouldn’t it?” Mercedes vocalized the same realization that struck Dimitri.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t offer you my aid. As a member of the faculty, I should be able to grant you special privileges and cover for you when needed.”

“Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated. But…”

Dimitri did value the help Byleth had offered so far. But it just wasn’t the same. He wanted her on his side. He wanted to talk and listen to her freely, without feeling like he was conversing with an enemy. And most of all, he wanted to be able to trust her completely. Byleth may have agreed to assist them for now, but would she still cooperate if their plans ended up targeting her beloved students? 

“But what?” The professor asked when Dimitri failed to finish his sentence.

He decided to take a page from Sylvain’s book and approach the issue in a roundabout way. “Er, I am curious. Why did you choose the Black Eagle house?”

Byleth tapped a finger against her cheek as she carefully crafted a response. “If I’m going to be honest, it was because they seemed like the easiest house to teach.”

“The easiest one? Really?”

“Yes. The students appeared to be skillful, sociable, and eager to learn. Well, not counting Bernadetta, but I’m certain she will improve.”

“Oh dear. We didn’t give off that kind of impression earlier today, didn’t we?” Mercedes’s smile gradually gave way to a frown.

“Not quite. I can tell that all of you are proficient in your chosen field. But you also carried with you a lot of emotional baggage. Being, uh, inadequate when it comes to counseling, I decided to leave your house to a more experienced teacher.”

He knew it. Byleth chose a different house because Dimitri couldn’t conduct himself properly around her. It was a good thing that Felix wasn’t here to berate him about it again. He was already doing a good enough job reprimanding himself. He let out a frustrated sigh that was a tad too loud for his liking. 

“Sorry. Was I being too honest?” Byleth remarked.

“Oh no, not at all. You just confirmed what we suspected.” Mercedes shook her head.

“...And now, after you told me what will happen in the future, there is another reason why the Black Eagle house is a better fit.” Byleth continued on. “All of you have been through so much. Five years of war is not an easy thing to withstand. Yet not only did you come out of it intact, you also are willing to throw yourselves back into the fray in order to bring peace. I don’t believe that you need me as much as you think.”

She was wrong. Dimitri was only able to endure those years because of her. If she wasn’t there, he would have fallen prey to his madness, never again regaining his sanity. He would have probably met his end on the battlefield, desperately trying to get to Edelgard, only to be put down like a wild beast. 

Dimitri was so absorbed in his thoughts, he almost missed what Byleth said next. “But the Black Eagles? They need me. Because they were your enemies during the war, weren’t they?”

“How could you tell?” Mercedes gasped.

“Why else would Dimitri freeze up and glare at Edelgard when he was perfectly fine with her before? And then ask about the Black Eagles with such contempt?”

“I wasn’t aware that I was so obvious.” Dimitri muttered. “But yes. It’s true. Edelgard declared war on the Church of Seiros at the end of the school year. During her campaign, the Adrestian Empire razed towns, slaughtered all opposition, and committed other unspeakable atrocities. If it weren’t for the efforts of you, me, and our allies, the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance would have been conquered. And who knows if she would have stopped there?”

“Interesting.” Byleth reacted as if Dimitri was recounting a story, not actual history. He couldn’t blame her for sounding a bit incredulous, but it still stung all the same. “Does Edelgard have a good reason for starting a war?”

“She told me that the church was the true enemy and that it needed to be destroyed in order to set the world right. But I honestly can’t make sense of her reasoning.”

“Nor can I. Still, that is why I must stick by her side. Perhaps I will come to understand her and persuade her against her crusade in time.”

“Yes. Perhaps…”

A sudden thought sprang to his mind. Dimitri assumed that he alone would try to talk Edelgard out of her plans. But if Byleth was her professor, she would be in a good position to do the same. In fact, she would be even better suited to this than he. If this Byleth held the same compassion and wisdom as the Byleth Dimitri knew, he had no doubt that she would reach for Edelgard’s hand like she did for his. She could save her from whatever twisted her mind, whatever convinced her that war was the only path she could take. 

Maybe the professor was right after all. Dimitri didn’t need her as much as he first believed. The ghosts of his past no longer tormented him with every waking step. His vision didn’t blur from sheer hatred when he laid eyes upon Edelgard. He didn’t thirst for vengeance in this new timeline, but for peace for all of Fódlan. He had changed a lot from the war. And although Dimitri wasn’t completely rid of the darkness within him, he was at least strong enough to shine brightly despite of it. He became worthy of the crown of his kingdom, and that wasn’t gone even when he was sent back into the past.

“Professor,” Dimitri let slip the nickname he used for her, even though this Byleth refused it earlier. “Thank you for hearing me out. I do think it’s best for you to stay with the Black Eagle house.”

“Really Dimitri?” Mercedes didn’t sound judgmental when she questioned him. Just surprised.

“Yes. And the first favor I wish to ask of you is to take care of Edelgard. Find out her real reason behind the war and let me know when you gleaned any clues.”

“That sounds doable. I would hate to have to stop you if you decided to just kill her instead.” Byleth paused. “You… aren’t planning to do that. Right?”

“No.” “Of course not!” Dimitri and Mercedes denied at the same time.

“Good. It’s getting late now. You two should go to bed. Classes start tomorrow after all.”

Dimitri bowed his head as he and Mercedes stood up. “We will head out then. Thank you again for listening to us and for believing in our story. Hopefully we can have another talk again soon.”

“I would like that.” Byleth had the faintest hint of a smile on her face. “I still have many questions that need to be answered. But they can wait until another time.”

On that final note, Dimitri and Mercedes left Byleth’s room behind and made their way to their own. Usually, doubt over a major decision like this would cling to him like a second cloak. But this time, it was pushed back to the furthest recesses of his mind. There were many key points during their conversation that staved off his doubt, and the most damning of them all was Byleth’s minuscule smile. She hadn’t shown any emotions this early on last time. To see her expressing herself on the first day, when she wasn’t even leading their class… Dimitri was convinced that she was the same kind woman as she was before. The professor that saved him, and now will save Edelgard. He just hoped that the others would understand this too.


	5. Dimitri's decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions plan for the upcoming school year.

Unfortunately and yet unsurprisingly, most of the Blue Lions disagreed with Dimitri’s decision to let Byleth lead the Black Eagles.

“A-are you sure this will be ok, Your Highness?” Ashe stuttered. He wasn’t the only student to voice such opinions out loud. Felix predictably scoffed and called him a dumb boar when Dimitri broke the news. Ingrid very politely and very sternly asked if he was feeling alright. Annette’s eyes went wide as she let out a loud gasp. Even Dedue had a concerned look on his face, although he didn’t dare to protest outright. Dimitri was glad that they chose to rendezvous at the empty Blue Lions classroom in the dead of night. He shuddered to think what might happen if their commotion was heard by passerbyers. The only people that didn’t jump on Dimitri immediately were Mercedes, who was actually present for the conversation with Byleth, and Sylvain, who wore an oddly thoughtful expression.

“I am certain.” Dimitri replied as if his confidence could assuage their feelings. But he doubted that it could. So he hoped that a further explanation could help them understand.

“We are already very capable at battling, thanks to our experiences during the war. The professor doesn’t have much left to teach us.”

Right after he said that, three different people spoke up at once.

“Uh, I don’t think Professor Hannemann has much to teach us either.”

“So you’ll let her teach the Black Eagles how to fight just as well as us? That’s reassuring.”

“The point wasn’t about her being our professor. It was about being our  _ ally _ .”

“Hold a moment.” Dimitri raised a hand to quiet Annette, Felix, and Ingrid. “That’s just one of the reasons behind my decision. During our discussion, I told Professor about our situation and the war that we must stop. She agreed with us and offered to aid us in any way she could. And because of her position as the professor of the Black Eagles house, I believe she can reach those students in many ways we cannot.”

“You mean she can reach Edelgard.” Sylvain had been unusually quiet up until now. So hearing him speak now was a surprise to everyone.

“Er. Yes. Out of all the Black Eagles, she definitely is the biggest factor and the hardest to turn. We will need all the help we can get when it comes to her.”

“Pfft. I can’t see this backfiring horribly.” Felix shook his head.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“If you haven’t noticed, she has a natural charisma that comes with being the heir to an empire. If she can convince people that normally loathe combat to fight for her, like Bernadetta, Linhardt, and Dorothea, then what’s stopping her from also turning the professor?”

“I am aware of the risks. But I will be watching their moves closely. Besides, there are other pieces on the board to consider. If we plan ahead and work these pieces to our advantage, then we can still change the future for the better. Even if… the professor is led astray.”

Dimitri did not wish to dwell more on that subject. Instead, he rolled out a giant sheet of blank parchment on two desks that were moved to form one big table. He placed books to weigh the corners down and also pulled out a calendar that once hung in his bedroom.

“First, let’s do our best to remember the specific dates of our missions and any other significant events. That way we can create a timeline of events and set deadlines for what needs to be done.”

“Well, at the end of this month is a mock battle between the three houses.” Mercedes remarked.

“And then during the month after, we fought against bandits in the Red Canyon.” Annette said next.

The Blue Lions listed out their missions and battles one by one. Dimitri wrote them all down diligently. While he was transcribing, he stole a glance towards Dedue. The poor man looked completely out of his element, although he tried his best not to show it. He would have to explain things to him in more detail once they had some time together.

_ Great Tree Moon: _

_ 4/23- Byleth chooses a house _

_ 4/30- Mock battle _

_ Harpstring Moon: _

_ 5/9- Annette’s birthday _

_ 5/27- Mercedes’s birthday _

_ 5/31- Bandit fight at Zanado _

_ Garland Moon: _

_ 6/5- Sylvain’s birthday _

_ 6/30- Lonato’s rebellion _

_ Blue Sea Moon: _

_ 7/26- Rite of Rebirth _

_ Verdant Rain Moon: _

_ 8/31- Battle at Conand Tower, Dedue’s birthday _

_ Horsebow Moon: _

_ 9/1- Flayn goes missing _

_ 9/30- Encounter with the Death Knight _

_ Wyvern Moon: _

_ 10/17- Ashe’s birthday _

_ 10/30- Battle of the Eagle and Lion _

_ Red Wolf Moon: _

_ 11/30- Battle at Remire Village _

_ Ethereal Moon: _

_ 12/16- White Heron Cup _

_ 12/20- Dimitri’s birthday _

_ 12/24- Grand Ball _

_ 12/26- Attack at the chapel _

_ Guardian Moon: _

_ 1/4- Ingrid’s birthday _

_ 1/31- Battle at the Sealed Forest _

_ Pegasus Moon: _

_ 2/20- Felix’s birthday _

_ 2/29- Battle at the Holy Tomb _

_ Lone Moon:  _

_ 3/2- Edelgard declares war on the Church _

_ 3/31- Battle for Garreg Mach _

“Are our birthdays really that important?” Felix scoffed when the others mentioned them.

“Yes!” “Why not?” Annette and Mercedes replied concurrently.

“Because it doesn’t matter if we celebrate them or not. And there’s no need to include the ball either.”

“Just because you’re  _ still _ embarrassed over winning the dance contest doesn’t mean it’s not vital to the mission.” Sylvain winked.

“That’s not why-”

“It doesn’t hurt to add them.” Dimitri butted in before an argument brewed. Once that was settled, he scrutinized the list in front of him, tapping his quill on his chin a few times before speaking up.

“These events are important. We must prevent them from coming to pass, or at least make them play out in our favor.”

As he circled eight months in total, Sylvain frowned at all the red ink. "Huh. We kinda had a miserable year, didn't we?" 

“Yes. But that’s just another reason why we must act.” Honestly, Dimitri was just as surprised as Sylvain at how many dates that they had to change. In fact, the only ‘unimportant’ months were this month, next month, and the Wyvern Moon. Those months only held mock battles or skirmishes with bandits.

“Hold on. I don’t think we’ll get the same missions as before now that we’re in Hanneman’s class.” Ingrid remarked.

“That’s right.” Ashe nodded. “I remember that only the professor had bandit routing as their first mission. The other two teachers were assigned to something much more peaceful.”

“Is that so?” That fact had honestly flew over Dimitri’s head. He was glad that his friends had sharp memories so they could recall important details like these.

“It doesn’t seem like it’ll matter much though.” Sylvain smirked. “If we’re going to be changing the future, our missions are going to be different anyway. We’re just going to have to do most of our changing outside of class.”

“That was going to be my next point, actually.” Dimitri's brow furrowed as he glanced over the paper. “If we change even one month, then future months may be affected. For example, if we stop Lord Lonato from rebelling, then we never find out about the Western Church’s plans to assassinate Lady Rhea.”

“Except that letter was a false lead, and they were trying to get the Sword of the Creator instead.” Mercedes pointed out.

“Was that what they were doing? I thought they didn’t expect the Sword of the Creator in the Holy Mausoleum.” Annette asked.

“And who’s to say that they won’t try anyway, with or without Lord Lonato’s letter?” Ingrid piped up.

Ashe grimaced as the three girls spoke. “Uh. Please tell me that you aren’t actually thinking of letting Lord Lornato rebel again.”

“Well of course not. But that’s another problem. We don’t know much about the motivations behind Edelgard’s plans.” Sylvain sighed. “I mean, we can assume she’s doing all this to destabilize the church and to eliminate her enemies so she can win the war more easily. But without knowing her exact reasons or methods, it’s hard to guess what she’ll do next if things get messed up.”

“This is true. Which is why I propose we plan out what comes first and then predict the changes our actions bring.” Dimitri said as he scribbled furiously on the parchment.

_ Lord Lonato rebels -> Assassination letter is discovered -> Western Church breaks into Holy Mausoleum -> Professor gets Sword of Creator _

“Hm. So you’re saying that if we stop the assassination plot too early, Professor won’t obtain the Sword of the Creator?” Mercedes stared at his handwritten note.

“Correct. And although she isn’t leading our house anymore, that would still put us at a disadvantage in the future. For instance, Archbishop Rhea may not regard her so highly without it, which means Professor has less influence over her.”

“Not to mention that she’ll be less formidable in combat.” Felix muttered.

“So we have to let the assasination plot play out, while also stopping Lord Lonato’s rebellion.” Ingrid drummed her fingers against the wooden surface. That seemed like a difficult puzzle to figure out at first, but Ashe blurted out the solution not long after.

“That shouldn’t be so hard. Once I convince Lord Lonato to stand down, we can still get the letter from him.”

“Do you know when he got the letter from the Western Church?”

“I think so. He would have gotten it around the middle of next month. I saw it when I accompanied Catherine and Lady Rhea on a mission that one time.”

“That doesn’t leave us with a lot of time to prepare. But we’ll manage. However, there’s another item I’d like to discuss.” Dimitri tapped his quill on what he wrote. “I believe that the Western Church was being manipulated by Edelgard. Why else would they so brazenly attack the Central Church? If we question them more thoroughly, they can offer clues about Edelgard’s true motives.”

“Or her allies.” Felix suggested. “She isn’t in this alone. They may be using the Western Church as their puppets so that they don’t have to enter the fray themselves.”

“You may be right.” Dimitri responded to Felix’s actually helpful insight with praise. 

"But how are we even going to get to the Western Church?" Ingrid voiced a concern that was also brewing in Dimitri's mind. "Such an investigation will require a lot more time than we can afford as students. Plus it may look suspicious to the Church of Seiros and to Edelgard."

"We may not have to be there personally. If we can rope the Knights of Seiros into doing it for us, that should work just as well."

As Dimitri spoke, a troubled expression grew on Mercedes's face. He couldn't help but ask her what was wrong. She responded with a heavy sigh and a shake of her head.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with letting the Knights of Seiros deal with the Western Church. Last time, they ended up executing many civilians, some of whom were truly innocent and had no idea they were being used by Edelgard. If they knew they were being manipulated by the enemy, surely they would change their mind. But the Knights of Seiros won't offer them that chance."

"Yeah. I agree with Mercedes." Ashe looked a great deal more confident as he nodded. "We should reach out to them before handing them over to the Knights."

"Ashe, some of these people really do hate the Central Church. They genuinely believe that Lady Rhea is teaching false doctrine and that the only way to solve things is by killing her. You won't be able to convince those maniacs."

"I… am aware. But I still want to save those I can." Ashe's green eyes became uncharacteristically somber as he stared at Felix. From the way he looked and spoke, Dimitri realized this argument was hitting a personal note for him.

"And I agree with you. We will do the best we can to handle the matter more delicately."

Ashe's gloomy face lit up when Dimitri said that. He was relieved to see that he was at least able to cheer up the young archer a little bit. "But for now, let's think about the other months, shall we?"

The Blue Lions turned their attention to the Verdant Rain Moon, when they were sent to retrieve a stolen Hero's Relic from Miklan. After a brief moment of contemplation, Sylvain simply shrugged and chuckled lightly.

"Heh. Do you really think my brother is that important? He was just a bandit with no connection to Edelgard. None that I could tell anyway."

"But he did devastate the villages around his hideout. We should do what we can to stop him." Dimitri pointed out.

"Ah. Of course. Then that should be simple enough. I just need to get the Lance of Ruin from my father before Miklan steals it."

"Will that really work?” Felix questioned Sylvain with a raised eyebrow.

“It should. Miklan’s just a bandit without the power of a Hero’s Relic on his side. My father should be able to take care of a lowly bandit, right?”

“Yes. Well, if you believe that’s all it will take.” Dimitri wrote down Sylvain’s very short plan for his brother. In a way, Dimitri actually envied the red-headed knight a bit. Sylvain’s view on hostile siblings was starkly different than his own. He didn’t feel the need to jump through endless hoops to save someone that caused so much pain and destruction. Such an attitude made life much more simpler.

If only the next month could be solved so easily. The mission that took place during the Horsebow Moon featured Flayn’s kidnapping and the subsequent search for her culprit. Ingrid assumed that the answer was simple, judging by how quickly she supplied it. “To prevent that, all we have to do is guard Flayn.”

“I fear the answer won’t be that straightforward, Ingrid.” Dimitri frowned. “If Seteth’s and the Knights’ constant supervision couldn’t stop her capture, then what good can we do?”

“We can ask Seteth to let his sister join our class?” Ashe tentatively suggested.

Dimitri let out a hum as he pondered that approach. “It sounds good in theory. But Seteth only allowed her into our class because Professor proved to be a capable protector.”

“Flayn can join her class then. Whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

“Yeah, let’s just make the Black Eagles class stronger. That’s totally fine.”

Dimitri made a pointed effort to ignore Felix’s sarcasm as Mercedes weighed in with a different suggestion. “If I can talk Emile out of kidnapping Flayn, would that work?”

“Possibly. But that’s an ambitious plan. Do you think you can make him defect from Edelgard in 4 months?”

“I’ll most definitely try. Even if I have to beat some sense into him, like what Felix said.”

“Ugh. I wasn’t being serious that time.” Felix muttered as he pressed his face into the palm of his hand.

“Mercie shouldn’t have to do this alone. Let’s all try to turn him away from the evil!” Annette piped up. “Kill him with kindness, as they say. It’s much better than killing him with a sword.”

“Thank you, Annie. I’m sure we will succeed if we all work together.”

“Hey guys? That kind of sentiment is nice and all, but I was thinking.” Sylvain gazed at the continuously growing outline of events. “If we kill Solon, the Death Knight wouldn’t have a reason to go after Flayn and we also prevent Remire Village’s destruction in the Red Wolf Moon.”

“He isn’t the only dark magic researcher Edelgard has though. Is he?” Ashe asked.

“No he isn’t. There’s that dreadful assassin Kronya. And the other person… I forget his name.”

“Thales.” Dimitri told Mercedes. He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t know his name, since the mysterious man didn’t show himself very often. The prince only personally saw him once, when he was hatching schemes with the Flame Emperor just outside the monastery. Byleth, however, mentioned that she spotted him twice more. Once when Jeralt died, and once when she fell off a cliff and disappeared for five years. In fact, now that Dimitri thought about it, Thales didn’t make an appearance during the war itself. It was like he vanished after the battle of Garreg Mach. A strange coincidence, but one that he needed to think about later. There were more pressing matters at hand. 

“Well, we don’t know where Thales and Kronya are.” Ingrid sighed. “But we do know where Solon is. I say the sooner we kill him, the better. Who knows what he’s cooking up at this very moment?”

“If I may offer a suggestion.” The sudden addition of Dedue’s voice caught everyone’s attention. Even though he didn’t get much of the context of their discussion, his thoughtful expression indicated that he had been in deep contemplation all this time.

A pause. Dimitri realized that he was waiting for his permission. “Go ahead, Dedue.” 

“Thank you, Your Highness. It seems like we don’t know much about Edelgard’s shadowy allies. We know not of their motives, methods, or whereabouts. I do not think it’s wise to immediately execute the only lead we have.”

“You weren’t there at Remire Village.” Ashe’s words came out sounding more harsh than he’d intended. “You didn’t see how the village burned, how the villagers killed each other, or how their children cried out for help. It… It was horrible. We have to stop him, no matter what.”

A flicker of remorse crossed Dedue’s face. “My apologies. I was not aware that we were dealing with such a monstrous being.”

Ashe’s recollection of the massacre brought back unpleasant memories for Dimitri. The dancing flames, the haze of smoke, the acrid odor of blood, the torturous screams. When they filled his senses, he could not tell if they came from Remire Village or Duscur. And it didn’t matter to the ghosts anyway. Their whispers grew into frantic demands for vengeance. Dimitri tried his best to ignore them, but the heaping coals they piled onto his head caused him to break his quill in half. 

The snap dispelled all the voices in the room, both from the Blue Lions and his ghosts. The former stared at him with concerned faces while the latter crept back into the shadows for the time being.

“Your Highness, are you alright?” Dedue took a step closer to him.

“I… am fine.” Dimitri breathed as he searched for another quill in a desk’s drawer. He only managed to fumble about while his vision recovered. Dedue pulled out a quill from a different desk and handed it to him.

“Thank you.”

“Dimitri, do you want to continue on? We can stop for tonight if you’re tired.” Mercedes asked. Her eyes took on a shade of melancholy blue, as if she recognized the pain hidden behind the prince’s expression.

“No. We should keep planning while we have time.” Dimitri tested the new quill on a corner of the paper. As long as he focused on his task of writing, he should be able to pay no heed to any other unwelcome voices.

“Still, Dedue does have a good point. As much as I loathe to admit it.” Sylvain reluctantly admitted through clenched teeth. “There are plenty of drawbacks if we kill him too early. We won’t get the information we need. We might arouse Edelgard’s suspicions. And there may be other unforeseen consequences that would make the future too unpredictable.”

“Yeah. I don’t think the murder of the monastery’s librarian so soon in the year will sit well with the Knights of Seiros.” Annette said dejectedly.

“Hm? Solon is Tomas?”

“Did I not mention that before?” Dimitri tried to remember the explanation he gave to Dedue earlier today. There was so much to go over, he may have skipped over details that seemed obvious to him but were actually a surprise to Dedue.

“I’m afraid not, Your Highness.”

“Sorry. If you ever need more clarification, don’t hesitate to speak up.”

“Pardon me, but I hope we’re not expecting to turn Solon into a good guy too.” Ingrid interrupted.

“Nah. Someone like him could never be anything but evil. Why would we want a dark mage that kidnaps little girls and experiments on innocent villagers on our side anyway?” Sylvain looked surprisingly cheerful as he spoke.

“But didn’t you just say we shouldn’t kill him?”

“I said we shouldn’t kill him  _ yet _ . It’s not something we can rush into recklessly. We need to wait for the right opportunity. And while we wait, perhaps we can glean something useful. But if we don’t, then oh well.” 

That answer seemed to satisfy Ingrid. Dimitri and the others also didn’t have any complaints about it. He dutifully transcribed Sylvain’s words before moving onto the next topic at hand.

“Now, if we prevent Flayn’s kidnapping, then Kronya won’t be able to sneak in as Monica.”

“But that doesn’t mean she can’t show up with a different disguise.” 

“Right you are, Ingrid. We could focus our efforts on finding out where Kronya and the others are hiding in the first place. But with how limited our movements are, it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Even if we manage to procure some information from Solon before we kill him, I doubt that he will be able to lead us to his partners directly.”

“So we should focus on protecting Jeralt and the students during the Ethereal Moon?” Ashe asked.

“Yes. I believe that will be the best way to use our time and resources.” Dimitri’s eyes scanned over the parchment once he finished his last sentence. The further away they got from the present, the foggier the future became. The Blue Lions had so many missions to keep in mind and with each goal they accomplished, the upcoming moons changed more and more. Like if they took out Solon and Kronya early, then the schedule from the Ethereal Moon onward would become completely different. He had to write down the sequence of events in order to make sure he got everything straight.

_ Jeralt dies -> Professor goes after Kronya in the Sealed Forest -> Solon kills Kronya to trap Professor -> Professor escapes with new powers -> Rhea invites Professor and class to Holy Tomb for a divine revelation -> Flame Emperor breaks in to steal Crest Stones _

“Hm. I don’t think we should worry about what happens here and here.” Sylvain pointed towards the events in the Sealed Forest that involved Solon and Kronya when he saw the contorted expression on the prince’s face. 

“Why do you say that?”

“Because they’ll die either by our hands or by the Professor’s. The difference being that Jeralt lives if we kill them.”

“But then the professor won’t get her divine powers?” Mercedes spoke as if she was unsure of herself.

“I guess. But that isn’t a bad thing, isn’t it? If we stop the war, she won’t need them.”

“Not necessarily. It’s disadvantageous for the same reasons as her not getting the Sword of the Creator.” Dimitri tapped at an earlier note he had written. “And even if we stop Edelgard, the professor may need her powers for something else.”

“So how would we, ah, trigger her transformation and save Jeralt at the same time?” Ashe frowned. “I can’t imagine doing anything worse to her than whatever dark spell Solon casted.”

“We could shove her off a cliff.”

“Felix! What kind of idea is that!” Annette shouted indignantly.

“She’ll be fine if she can activate her powers while she’s falling.”

“And if she doesn’t?!”

Felix had no answer for that. Sylvain opted to join in the argument in his stead. “Yeah. I don’t think the professor can fly, even after she got the goddess’s power. If she did, she would’ve done so during the war, when it would have been incredibly useful.”

“She kept her time manipulation powers well hidden. What’s to say that she didn’t do the same with other powers?” Ingrid shrugged.

“Er, now’s not the time to speculate on such matters. Let’s focus on the task at hand.” Dimitri felt like they were getting a little too carried away. And when he let them indulge in their tangents, his fear of being discovered grew stronger. This meeting has already dragged on for quite a while and he shuddered when he thought about what would happen if they were seen.

“So say we stop Kronya and the Professor gets her goddess powers some other way. But now, Pegasus Moon is our last chance to talk her out of the war.” Dimitri scribbled out more of his thoughts on the paper. “Because once Edelgard invades the Holy Tomb, there’s no turning back. Lady Rhea won’t forgive her no matter what anyone says. And Edelgard will have no choice but to continue on the path she chose.”

“Way to be dramatic, Your Highness.” 

“I’m serious, Sylvain. We might even need to persuade her before the month begins. I recall that she left quite often due to Empire business during this moon.”

“Do you think…” Annette stopped to count her fingers. “9 months is long enough for you to talk her down?”

“I want to believe so.”

“But if it isn’t?” Felix’s remark was short but ladened with another unspoken question that Dimitri didn’t want to hear. He hesitated for a moment to mull over a future where Edelgard refused to change her mind. A future when despite his best efforts, he failed to avert the endless bloodshed and destruction through words alone. He knew that others said behind his back that the prince of Faerghus was too kind and loathed killing people. That facet of him was true, even when he lost himself during his 5 years of rampage. The thought of having to live through those years again, and then some, made his throat seize up. And it wasn’t just Dimitri that would suffer. The entirety of Fódlan would once more be subjected to a brutal war where people either took lives or gave lives.

He could prevent that with one simple act. Towards a woman that would rebuff his offers of peace and friendship, time and time again. 

The answer found his tongue readily enough. “Then I will stop her myself.”

Dimitri’s gaze hardened as he responded to Felix’s questions. His friend nodded slightly, satisfied with his reply. But his words chilled the hearts of the other Blue Lions in the room. Mercedes looked especially downcast and she was the first to speak up, as if she was desperate to chase away his cold words.

“Dimitri, I hope you know that we’ll be behind you every step of the way. There’s no need to think that you’ll have to do this alone.”

“Yeah! We’ll all work together, like how we’ll work together to save the Death Knight!” Annette pumped a fist into the air. “Man, it feels weird saying that.”

“I have faith in you, Your Highness. You’re one of the kindest people I've ever met. I bet you’ll convince her in only a few months.” Ashe gave him a reassuring smile.

Dimitri couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you everyone. I promise that we’ll see an end to this, one way or another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this chapter was a bit of a doozy to write because I actually had to plan out what will happen in this story. So I want to point out a few things, some of which should be obvious.
> 
> 1\. Dimitri and co only went through the Azure Moon route. They don't know things that are revealed on other routes. Their opinions and decisions don't necessarily reflect the bigger picture (as much as they try to).  
2\. I try to stick with established canon, however I will bring in my headcanons to fill in gaps if necessary. For instance, we don't know much about the Western Church, but they will play a bigger role in this story, so I'll be making up things to fit them in better.  
3\. Speaking of the Western Church, I haven't definitively planned out what will happen with them. I will hopefully do them justice but apologies in advance if things don't turn out.  
4\. I haven't played the Crimson Flower route, although I have read up on it and watched my brother play some of it. So as we get later into the story, things concerning Edelgard and her allies may be different from the game. This is mostly due to plot related reasons but again, I'm sorry if I end up mischaracterizing her or something.  
5\. If I do make a mistake, please let me know! Aside from the general 'hurr durr Edelgard is evil' comments.
> 
> Anyway thanks to all for your comments, kudos, and general support! I'm so glad people are sticking with this fic and I hope you all enjoy what's to come!


	6. The first day of school

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions change their study goals, Dimitri chats with Edelgard, and Dimitri and Felix spar together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the many 'shenanigans' chapters I plan to have. It's basically a breather in between plot heavy chapters. And who knows? Maybe these shenanigans will be important in the future. Anyway I hope you have as much fun reading this as I had writing this.
> 
> Also some parts of this might require meta knowledge to understand but I hope it's funny anyways~

The first day of school somehow went smoothly than expected, especially since Hanneman von Essar was their professor.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t a good teacher. In fact, he gave off a better first impression compared to Byleth. While the former mercenary stumbled into class with a sword and the barest hint of a lesson plan, Hanneman sauntered in holding stacks of books and papers and launched right into introductions. He even handed out a syllabus to everyone! It was obvious that Hanneman had been an educator at the Officer’s Academy for many long years and had his act together for the class of 1181.

The problem was that during the war, Hanneman and Manuela joined Edelgard’s army like good Imperial citizens. Dimitri and his allies ended up battling against them in Arianrhod. He wanted them to surrender peacefully since they were once allies, but they fought to the bitter end. Their deaths weighed heavily on his mind, as well as the miserable fates of other friends-turned-enemies. That weight did not dissipate while Hanneman stood in front of the class, alive and well. Dimitri just felt even more pressured to stop the war.

At least the lessons themselves were easy. Hanneman focused on preparing them for the mock battle next week, not knowing that his class were already good enough to wipe out the other houses several times over. He had assigned goals to each student in order to either hone their skills or acquire new ones. But the Blue Lions were already well acquainted with the subjects he picked for them. Or in several cases, knew that training in certain specialties was a waste of time. So they sought to correct their courses before they were too deeply entrenched.

“Hey, Hanneman.” Sylvain advanced towards his teacher at his desk shortly after their goals were announced. He could tell that the old man didn’t exactly appreciate being on a first name basis with his students, but none of the Blue Lions wanted to call him just Professor. That was a title still reserved for Byleth. 

“Yes? How may I help you?” 

“I was thinking…” He stretched his arms behind his back of his head while he thought about how to phrase himself. “I already know a lot about riding horses. Could I learn how to ride a wyvern instead?”

“May I ask why the sudden request?” Hanneman didn’t look as surprised as he sounded, which was a good thing in Sylvain’s eyes.

“Well, more flyers are always good right? They’re strong, fast, and I can always dismount if there’s an archer nearby. Besides, I want to keep up with Ingrid. It can’t be good for her to be the only flier in our class.”

“I see your point. Alright. I will make the necessary changes.”

As soon as Sylvain sat back down, Ashe shot straight up. He marched right on over to Hanneman’s desk with a clear purpose in mind. “Professor Hanneman, could I also become a wyvern rider?”

“Ashe, a wyvern rider and an archer have two drastically different roles on the battlefield. Are you certain that you can make the adjustment?”

“I’m sure.”

“Hm.” Hanneman didn’t seem fully convinced yet. Ashe watched with sweaty palms as he rifled through his papers. “You will need to focus more on axes. Certifying as a brigand will help you in that area. But then our house will be lacking in archers.”

“I-I think it’s fine. I can still use my bow as a brigand and as a wyvern rider. Actually, the extra mobility on wyvern-back will help me target my enemies better. And training with axes will help me build my strength more.”

“Hmmm.” Hanneman glanced over his files, then at the eager young boy in front of him, then back at his papers. “Fine. You will start training with Sylvain tomorrow. However, please let me know if you would like to switch back to the archer courses as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Hanneman!” 

Ashe quickly retreated back to his seat. A day passed without any further inquiries, much to Hanneman’s relief. But his break wouldn’t last forever. The next morning, it was Dimitri’s turn to meet with him.

“Professor Hanneman. I heard that Ashe wishes to become a wyvern rider, but that will leave our class short in terms of archers.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“I’m willing to change my goals to bows and swords to compensate for it.”

“That’s-” Hanneman picked out the sheet of paper that had notes for Dimitri. “You aren’t particularly well versed in archery. You will need to train more to fill in Ashe’s role adequately.”

“I am willing to put in the extra effort. Besides, I am not that bad at archery. When I was a child, one of my mentors once made me hunt on the mountainside in pitch-black darkness. I don’t mean to boast, but I bagged a deer that was twice my size that night.”

“Impressive.” Hanneman pushed his monocle up. “The strict training methods of the Kingdom never ceases to amaze me. Anyway…”

He glances over his notes once more. “I can switch you to bows. But why are you interested in swords as well? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to train in lances, as that is the specialty of House Blaiddyd?”

“I am already well acquainted with the lance. I’m hoping that by training in bows and swords, I can certify as an assassin.”

“You? An assassin?!” Hanneman almost choked on his shock. “Pardon me, but I must advise against such a course for the crown prince of Faerghus!”

“Why? Are you worried about what others may think of me?” Dimitri sighed. “Believe me when I say that if I am not concerned, then neither should you.”

“Still. That’s-” Hanneman fumbled over his own thoughts. It took him a while to recover his bearings. “May I suggest that you work towards certifying as a paladin instead? That will use your talents with both the sword and lance more effectively and mounted soldiers are always invaluable on the battlefield.”

“I understand where you are coming from. But I would prefer to work on my speed and agility on foot, and it’s hard to do so when I’m on horseback.” 

What Dimitri said was only a partial truth. He did work on his riding skills during his first year at the academy under Byleth’s tutelage. He even became pretty good at it. But when he was ousted from the throne, he didn’t have the luxury of a horse companion. Dimitri was forced to fight on the ground during his exile and ended up growing too accustomed to it. Now he wasn’t sure if battling on a mount would be an advantage for him anymore. He worried that he might injure his horse with the reckless tendencies he picked up.

Luckily, Hanneman relented. He muttered something intelligible under his breath as he changed his plans for Dimitri. Not long after Dimitri retreated, Felix came up to his desk and wasted no words to make his demands known.

“Black magic is useless. Train me in gauntlets instead.”

“Now, I ordinarily don’t mind hearing out a student’s request. But you could have been more polite in asking.” Hanneman grumbled as he pulled out Felix’s file.

“It’s the truth. Learning magic is a waste of time for me. I spent a whole year on it and only knew two spells at the end of it.”

“Really now? That was never mentioned on your admission. Who taught you magic?”

“... My father.”

“Hmm. Well, perhaps you didn’t have the right teacher. No offense to your father.”

“None taken. He’s a lost cause.”

Hanneman opted not to comment on that remark. Instead, he continued on. “But I do believe you have a natural aptitude for black magic. Under a more experienced instructor like myself, it could blossom into another talent. And if your grades in reason are good enough, you could certify into a mortal savant. That class utilizes swords and magic to devastating effect.”

“But it’s slow.”

“Pardon?”

“Using magic slows down my sword technique. Also, the armor is stupid looking. I’d rather stick with being a swordmaster or assassin.” Felix crossed his arms. His irritated tone indicated that he had some experience with all three classes before and he enjoyed the mortal savant class the least. Hanneman briefly wondered what kind of training Faerghus nobles had to endure to already give Felix an idea of what he wanted.

“How about this? Train with black magic until you pass the D rank exam. Then we can switch your goals if you’re still unhappy with them.”

Felix glowered but did not object. “Fine.”

* * *

Dimitri’s most important mission, in his mind, was to reconnect with Edelgard. He wasn’t going to spill the beans to her like he did with Byleth. He aimed to become close with her, like the friends they once were, and learn the true reason as to why she wanted to start a war. And then, once they were on good terms, he could slowly change her mind through peaceful talks. Somehow. 

He knew this would be a difficult task, but he underestimated how hard it would be. To start with, Edelgard always hung out with the Black Eagles or with the Professor or maybe both. Dimitri couldn’t barge into their conversations without looking like a busybody. And even when she wasn’t engrossed in chatter with others, there was that imposing retainer that clung to her like a shadow. 

Hubert was a man Dimitri unfortunately knew little about. He rarely spoke to others, much less to those outside his house, and was fiercely protective of his master. In many ways, he reminded Dimitri of his own friend, Dedue. Only Dedue had hobbies outside of serving Dimitri, such as cooking and gardening. Hubert, on the other hand, was never seen doing anything else except following Edelgard around. That trait would later prove to be a boon during the war. He became one of the Empire’s top commanders and one of the Kingdom’s biggest threats due to his magical prowess and his steadfast loyalty to Edelgard. Whenever he partook in a battle, the Blue Lions had to fight with everything they had in order to come out the victor. Yet they managed to triumph over him, time and time again, and eventually he fell at the battle for Enbarr.

Hubert’s stubbornness dissuaded Dimitri from approaching her several times. But he finally got his chance one sunny afternoon. Dimitri and Dedue arrived in the dining hall for a late lunch. To his surprise, Edelgard and Hubert were sitting at a table by themselves. They were also eating late but they had almost finished their meals, judging from their near empty plates. Dimitri decided to seize the opportunity anyways and sat across from them. Other voices, not from students but from the shadows, stirred awake at the sight of the future emperor. He did his best to ignore them and focused on maintaining his composure.

“Hello Edelgard, Hubert.” He regarded them both politely. 

“Hello Dimitri.” Edelgard responded back. Hubert remained quiet, but his only visible eye glowered at the two Blue Lions.

He cleared the first hurdle easily enough. The princess of Adrestia didn’t seem to mind their intrusion. But his next hurdle was perhaps the most difficult one. Dimitri had to find things to talk about.

“I hear that Professor Byleth is teaching the Black Eagles.” The Professor’s name felt strange on his tongue. However, he had to get used to it if he didn’t want to raise suspicion.

“Yes? You’ve known that since the first day.”

“Right.” That was a dumb opening sentence. Dimitri quickly recovered from his fumble and pressed onwards. “How is she as a teacher? I am curious as to how a former mercenary instructs.”

He was already familiar with how Byleth taught. After all, she spent a year as his professor, then many more months as his commander. He knew that she preferred demonstrating over lecturing, knew whether to critique or console, and appreciated a student’s effort above the right answer. But it was still a good way to break the ice. And maybe Byleth’s teaching style changed when she changed houses.

“Oh, she’s very… interesting.”

Dimitri suppressed a laugh with a snort. ‘Interesting’ was a good way to describe Byleth.

Edelgard didn’t seem to feel the same way. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Is there something funny?”

“No. I just choked on a piece of food. Please continue.”

“Anyway, she’s unlike any instructor I’ve had before. The first day, she walked in with only her sword and nary a lesson plan. She had to basically improvise her lectures! But somehow, they were still quite informative. Her view on battles felt more akin to a soldier’s or militia’s view rather than a noble’s. I suppose that comes with being a mercenary, but I never imagined the difference to be that jarring.”

“I must say that I’m a bit jealous of your new professor. Don’t get me wrong, Professor Hanneman is a fantastic teacher. But his lectures are more based on theory. In my opinion, it would be more useful to hear from someone who battles for a living than from a scholar who mostly sticks to his desk.”

“Heh.” Now it was Edelgard’s turn to laugh. “I hope you’re not trying to steal her away from us.”

“I would never. What gave you that idea?”

“Your visit to her office on the first night? I did wonder what could the leader of the Blue Lion house possibly want with the new professor of the Black Eagle house.”

“Oh. That’s, uh.” Dimitri cursed his misfortune. He had hoped that she wouldn’t remember the extremely brief encounter they had that night. So he didn’t prepare a lie to tell if she mentioned it. 

He eventually came up with one after a few seconds of awkward silence. “I only wanted to see if she acclimated to the monastery yet. Transitioning from a nomadic lifestyle to a stable home isn’t easy.”

He should know. He spent five years as a homeless vagrant, struggling for any scrap of comfort he could find.

“That’s… rather thoughtful of you.” Edelgard sounded pleased but there wasn’t any sort of smile on her lips. “However, there is no need to be so concerned. I am fully capable of helping her settle in. You should attend to the matters of your own house first and foremost.”

“Yes. Of course.” Dimitri nodded. He felt like this conversation was going nowhere. In fact, he might have put Edelgard in a more defensive mood. Perhaps he should have brought along a better dining companion than the stoic bodyguard beside him…

“Speaking of which, it’s almost time for our meeting with the other Black Eagle students.” Hubert suddenly said.

“Oh! I’ve nearly forgotten. Thank you for reminding me.” Edelgard began cleaning up the remains of her lunch.

“I won’t keep you any longer then.” Dimitri stated. “But let’s have another chat in the near future. It’s been far too long since just the two of us talked like this. In fact, I believe the last time we spoke so candidly was when we were in Fhridiad, many years ago…”

She turned to gaze at him with wide, lavender eyes. A look of surprise crossed her face before it was washed away by indifference.

“You remember.”

“Why wouldn’t I? That year we spent together was one of my fondest childhood memories.”

“Lady Edelgard…” Hubert’s quiet reminder sounded more like a warning. She gave him the smallest hint of a nod before glancing back at Dimitri.

“Then I would not mind talking to you again. After all, I’m sure that we’ll have much to discuss when the Black Eagles win the upcoming mock battle.”

“Ha! I wouldn’t be so certain of your victory.” Dimitri chuckled. 

The two house leaders exchanged smirks before Edelgard and Hubert departed from the dining hall. Once they left, Dedue stared at Dimitri with a puzzled expression. 

“I was not aware that you were so close to her.”

“Oh, did I forget to mention something again?” Dimitri lightly smacked the side of his head. “Yes. Edelgard and I are step-siblings. Her birth mother married my father, although Edelgard herself only lived in Fhirdiad for a year. But this is not a widely known fact, so please don’t mention this to anyone besides the Blue Lions.”

“My lips are sealed, Your Highness.”

* * *

The training grounds were busier than usual. Then again, Dimitri’s definition of ‘usual’ only took into account its wartime occupants, the Kingdom soldiers and the Knights of Seiros. So when he also spotted the young and eager faces of students he hadn’t seen in years, he almost dropped his lance in shock. 

But he quickly got used to them. He had to, if he didn’t want to leave a bad impression on his teacher. Hanneman, although brilliant in the field of magic, couldn’t coach most the Blue Lions in their chosen weapons very effectively. So he had enlisted the help of another faculty member named Jeritza von Hrym. Who used to be Emile von Bartels. Who would become known as the Death Knight. And who was currently his combat instructor.

That was someone Dimitri might never get used to. The voices demanded that he ran his lance through Jeritza’s stone-cold heart every time he looked at him. If he died now, then the Flame Emperor’s plan would be severely hindered, and many lives could be spared from her wrath. Yet, he had to hold himself back for Mercedes’s sake. She wanted to save her younger half-brother so desperately, she even thought of signing up for extra weapons practice to spend more time with him. Dimitri objected to that for various reasons, but ultimately couldn’t change her mind.

Fortunately, his classes were over for today. Dimitri and Felix still hung out in the training grounds, clashing against each other with training swords, until students trickled out of the area. Now only the two of them remained. Without any witnesses nearby, they could really let loose and spar without restraint.

But after a few rounds of combat, Dimitri noticed something was wrong. Whenever Felix struck from his left, he couldn’t move fast enough to dodge or block him. It was like he didn’t notice his opponent there until it was too late. To compensate, he tried to consciously focus on his surroundings to the left, but that just left his vulnerable to other attacks. After he was hit by Felix’s sword by the tenth or so time, Felix sighed and lowered his weapon.

“You’re not used to fighting with two eyes.” He announced.

“... I suppose.” Dimitri instinctively touched his left eye with his hand. He thought that he was relearning everything just fine during earlier training sessions. Then again, he hadn’t faced the full fury of a warrior honed by the flames of war before today. 

“I must rectify this. Come at me again.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I need to become as strong as I was in the future.” Felix muttered as he sheathed his sword. “So I need better adversaries. Beating up a crippled fighter like you isn’t worth my time.”

Those words stung, but also sparked something inside Dimitri’s heart. He gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly, he threatened to break it. 

“What if I made it worth your time?”

“Hm?” Felix watched curiously as Dimitri grabbed a gauze pad and some bandages. He placed the gauze over his left eye and wrapped the bandage over it and around his head to hold it in place. It couldn’t block all the light, so it didn’t completely simulate the feeling of a lost eye. But it was serviceable. Dimitri already felt himself slipping into a familiar stance as he twirled his sword and faced Felix.

“You look ridiculous.” He sneered.

“Like a boar, you mean.”

That wiped the contemptuous smile off his face. Felix pulled his sword back out and studied over his opponent. The two men exchanged a wordless agreement before Felix charged.

Despite his blinding speed, this opening move was advantageous for Dimitri. He had learned, after fighting by his side for so long, that the swift swordsman excelled at dodging attacks the enemy initiated. Dimitri also learned the many nuances of his fighting style. For instance, if he held onto his sword like that, he wasn’t going to go for a straightforward slash. Felix was merely a step away before his sword suddenly switched directions and jabbed at his left side. Dimitri noticed the feint the moment it revealed itself and easily parried the blow. 

The block didn’t stop Felix’s momentum entirely and he swung again, at his front, in one fluid motion. Dimitri wasn’t quick enough to stave that off and was forced to back off. Felix continued his advance, slicing with speed and finesse that was beyond a student’s level. He made it a point to attack his left side whenever he can. It took all of Dimitri’s effort to either parry or dodge each attack, but he hasn’t been hit yet. His makeshift eyepatch allowed him to imagine this as a fight for his life and triggered the instincts he needed to sense movements that would have otherwise spelled his demise. Someone that wasn’t as strong or familiar with Felix’s moves would have fallen already. But Dimitri knew that an opening will show itself sometime. All he needed was to be patient…

There! Felix’s sword landed too lightly on Dimitri’s own, an indication that he was weakening. Dimitri seized the opportunity to shove him back. Felix had to keep a tight grip on his sword to prevent it from flying away, and in the process messed up his own stance. Now it was Dimitri’s turn to be on the offensive. He favored fewer and heavier blows as opposed to Felix’s rapid assault. Felix was aware of the prince’s sheer strength at what it would mean for him if he actually connected. He sought to dodge as much as possible, but Dimitri’s tricky maneuvers forced him to parry a few times. It only took three powerful strikes to reduce Felix’s legs to jelly. Once he wobbled, Dimitri lunged at him and swung his sword twice. Once to knock the sword out of his hands, and once to knock him to the ground.

The dust-covered Felix casted his gaze downwards as he sat on the floor. Dimitri held out a hand. He stared at it for a good minute before using it to pull himself up.

“You only needed one hit to knock me over before.” He mumbled.

“And you wouldn’t have exhausted yourself so quickly.” Dimitri snapped back. 

Felix opted not to argue further, but instead shot daggers at him with his eyes. The sun was starting to set so there would be no more sparring between them today. Before they parted ways, Felix’s stare lingered on Dimitri for a bit longer.

“Take off that stupid eyepatch before you leave.” He finally said what was on his mind.

“Oh. Right.” Dimitri tore it off without hesitation. He still had a ways to go if he didn’t even notice he was still wearing this thing. But, as his most recent spar with Felix proved, maybe he shouldn’t be so hasty in remedying his problem. His one-eyed fighting style was part of who he was and forgetting everything about it would only set him back further. If he can somehow balance his instincts from the future with the body he had now… His fingers brushed through his hair to fix the mess his bandages had caused as he headed out the door.

* * *

Hanneman thought that the strange requests had ended already. But they didn’t. Over the course of the next several days, other Blue Lions joined their brethren and asked to shift into goals that didn’t suit their innate abilities. He thought that maybe they were playing an elaborate prank on him, but no. They were serious.

Annette, for instance, wanted to train in axes and heavy armor because that’s what her family was known for. Hanneman balked at first, mentally comparing her tiny muscles to her endless magical potential. But then she admitted that she only wished to become an armor knight to work on her defenses and to get the opportunity to work with a certain Knight of Seiros. She promised to switch back to black magic once she learned all she could from him. With that, Hanneman gave her his approval.

Mercedes sought to become a knight like her brother. To do that, she had to change her goals to lances and riding. Hanneman didn’t even knew she had a brother, much less one that could inspire a magically inclined person to pick up a lance for the first time. After much back and forth, Mercedes admitted that yes, maybe it was for the best that she didn’t give up faith and reason entirely, and switched her final goal to a holy knight. Hanneman sighed as he made a note to ask the new combat instructor to spend extra time with her.

The only students that stuck with his original assigned goals were Ingrid and Dedue. They both seemed content with lances/flying and axes/heavy armor respectively. He was grateful that they didn’t suddenly decide otherwise like their friends. He already had a logistical nightmare on his desk trying to assign homework, personal instructors, and group tasks in a way that would fit everyone’s schedules and learning styles. Of course, this mess will tidy itself up as the school year progressed and his students eased into a routine. But this was by far the most unusual first week of classes he ever had. 

The day before the mock battle, as Hanneman put the finishing touches on his lesson plans, Dedue approached him out of the blue.

“Professor Hanneman. I would like to switch my heavy armor training to riding.”

Inside his mind, Hanneman screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to put the Blue Lions into less canon classes in my Azure Moon playthrough, much to the despair of my sister. I'd like to think that Hanneman is channeling a bit of her in this chapter.


	7. The mock battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the mock battle arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I twisted canon a little bit here to make things more interesting. Namely, everyone gets to participate and all three houses are against each other rather than just Byleth's house is against the other two. It doesn't really make much sense otherwise~

The day of the mock battle arrived with a picturesque spring morning filled with blue skies, meandering white clouds, and warm sunlight. 

But Dimitri and his friends weren’t outside to enjoy the fair weather. They huddled together in their homeroom with a very important, last minute question on their mind.

“What should we do about the mock battle?” 

Ashe was the one to bring up what everyone worried about. Dimitri remained silent while evaluating the others’ faces. The expressions they wore ranged from contemplative, to concerned, to nonchalant, and to smug in one person’s case.

“We beat everyone. Why is this even a question?” Felix scoffed. 

“Becaaaause it might seem strange that a bunch of teenage students can fight with the skill and efficiency of well-trained, adult soldiers?” 

“I agree with Sylvain.” Ingrid nodded. “We should hide our experience the best we can, to avoid raising suspicions.” 

“But does that mean we also have to lose the mock battle?” Ashe asked with a tilted head.

Ingrid seemed like she was about to say something but retracted herself at the last minute. The other Blue Lions had similarly thoughtful looks on their faces. Mercedes paused her twirling of her ponytail to speak up.

“Well, what’s the worst that can happen if we win?”

“Lady Rhea won’t look upon Professor as favorably as before.” Dimitri held his chin in between his fingers. “And… That’s the only downside I can think of.”

“If people suspect about how we won so easily, I’m sure we can chalk it up to our strict upbringing in the Kingdom of Faerghus. Just as long as we hold back, of course.” Annette piped up.

“While if we lose, we only hurt our egos.” Sylvain shrugged.

Felix rolled his eyes as if he couldn’t accept that possibility. “I’m not losing to the Black Eagles. Not after what we’ve been through.”

“Felix, I know how you feel, but we can’t let grudges cloud our judgement.” Ingrid reached out a hand as if to touch his shoulder but he recoiled and glowered at her.

“It’s not a grudge. These people will become our enemies if our plans don’t work.”

“But there’s no need to be so dramatic! It’s just a mock battle. It’s not like the fate of the world depends on who wins this.”

“Annie’s right. Let’s just calm down and take deep breaths.”

Even the resident mood-killer couldn’t argue against Mercedes and the others. He chose not to continue the discussion any further and just simmered in silence instead.

Dimitri didn’t concur with Felix’s tone, but he did empathize with what he said. He couldn’t stomach the idea of losing to Edelgard. After fighting against her in a real war, letting her win felt like he was forsaking the beliefs he held close to his heart. Even if he did lie and said that losing wouldn’t bother him, he was sure that his uncertainty would shake his voice and not convince anyone.

So he merely gave a non-committal response. “For today, we will fight as best we can without revealing our true strength. Let the other houses earn their victory or defeat. This mock battle is supposed to serve as a test, so it would be remiss of us to not give it our all.”

“Yeah, I can agree with that.”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Spoken like a true king.”

* * *

The site of the mock battle was an open grassy field with thickets and a fence in the middle, a small forest to the south, and two healing circles in the northeast and northwest corner. The Blue Lions were to take position in the northeast corner, the Golden Deer started to the west of them, and the Black Eagles set themselves up in the southern trees.

It was strange to see Byleth on the other side of the battlefield. If Dimitri didn’t have all week to come to terms with it, he would’ve thought that he was dreaming. Her back was turned towards him, cloak waving in the wind like a flag, as she spoke to the Black Eagles class. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she was no doubt providing last minute tips and encouraging them to fight their best. That was what she told the Blue Lions, a lifetime ago.

Hanneman himself was giving them a similar speech that no one paid any serious heed to. His strategies were almost insultingly basic and his students could think of other better ways to approach this fight. But they had to comply with some of his plans if they didn’t want to upset him. Ashe, Felix, and Annette were positioned towards the middle of the field. Sylvain and Ingrid guarded the path between the two healing circles in case the Golden Deer tried to sneak up on them from behind. And Dimitri, Dedue, and Mercedes huddled around Hanneman’s healing circle to provide additional support where needed.

It sounded like Hanneman’s prep talk was finishing up. Dimitri gripped his wooden spear tightly as he glanced towards the judge of the mock battle. Jeralt, along with several other knights and faculty, watched over everything from his perch on a hill with a curved horn in his hands. Once the three houses were ready, he blew on the instrument to signal the start of the skirmish.

The Golden Deer were the first to engage, much to Dimitri’s surprise. Lorenz, Ignatz, and Rapheal rushed towards Ashe in hopes of getting the drop on the ‘fragile’ archer. He could hear Claude yelling at them to stop but it was already too late. Ashe raised his bow calmly and shot at Rapheal. Two rubber-tipped arrows met each of his kneecaps, causing the mountain of a man to fall over. Ignatz lifted his own bow to retaliate on behalf of his friend, but a gust of wind courtesy of Annette knocked him flat. Lorenz was unfazed by the fact that he was the only one left standing and continued his charge. Ashe readied a counter attack at close range, but Felix swooped in and intercepted the noble’s attack. He parried Lorenz’s spear easily and, while he was still trying to figure out what happened, swept his legs out from under him. 

In a span of a few minutes, the three Blue Lion frontliners took out three Golden Deer students. Hanneman looked mightily impressed, but Dimitri was far from proud. He wanted to shout at them, tell them to not show off so much. However, he had no way of communicating that sentiment now without everyone else overhearing. So he just gritted his teeth and hoped that they remembered their earlier discussion on their own.

Curiously, the Black Eagles didn’t make a move yet. Perhaps they were too frightened to, after witnessing the Golden Deer’s massacre. There was at least one student that showed their unease readily. Bernadetta cowered behind Edelgard while the latter looked to Byleth for further instructions. She remained silent while her blue eyes surveyed the battlefield. Then, without any more hesitation, she directed Petra up front with Dorothea and Hubert to support her.

Petra moved close enough to attract Felix’s attention. Dimitri could tell by the glimmer in his eye what was about to happen. 

“Felix, stop!” His shouts didn’t warn Felix in time. He lunged at Petra, anticipating that she would be taken out as easily as Lorenz, but she proved to be quicker on her feet. Felix only managed to land one strike before being bombarded with a bolt of lightning from Dorothea and an orb of shadowy magic from Hubert. The combined magical attack wasn’t enough to stop him, but Petra used the opening her teammates provided to smack him hard with her wooden blade. Felix went down on one knee, glaring at her while he did so. Dimitri was afraid that he would get back up and try to fight on despite his injuries. Jeralt intervened before he did so, declaring in a loud and booming voice that Felix was out. The swordsman only picked himself up to leave the field, mumbling curse words under his breath as he walked off.

Now that their primary defender was down, Dimitri and Dedue had no choice but to move up to guard Ashe and Annette. He was slightly nervous about leaving Mercedes and Hanneman alone, but the frontline needed backup now that the Black Eagles were moving up. Plus, Sylvain and Ingrid were still around and can fall back to protect them if nothing was happening in their area.

Dimitri and Dedue raced towards the middle of the field just as chaos unfolded further. Ferdinand charged forward with the two mages, Bernadetta, Caspar and a newly renewed Petra. Dimitri reached Ashe just in time to deflect Ferdinand’s lance. He prevented the Aegir nobleman from taking one step closer, even under the threat of Dorothea’s thunder magic. A high-pitched shriek indicated that Ashe repaid the favor by shooting the mage before she completed her spell. Dimitri then proceeded to break through Ferdinand’s guard, jab him in the chest, then swing his lance down on his back, causing him to fall on one knee. He did so as gently as possible but was still rewarded by a pained groan from his foe. As Dimitri pointed the tip of his lance at Ferdinand’s neck, he was reminded of a scene from a distant future. Six years from now, Ferdinand found himself in a very similar position on the Great Bridge of Myrddin, and that encounter ended in the noble’s death. This time, he yielded to Dimitri and excused himself from the battlefield peacefully.

A flood of relief washed over him. Dimitri surveyed the current scenario to get his bearings straight. Annette had just blasted Caspar with wind magic, sweeping him off his feet. Dedue was engaged with Petra in order to prevent her from reaching Annette. Hubert waved his hands as he prepared to conjure another sphere of darkness. Bernadetta’s small frame was easily hidden behind him, although she too was readying her weapon. Dimitri heard the sound of a bowstring pulling back behind him. He stepped to the side so that Ashe could get a clear shot. The arrow he fired soared an impossibly long distance to strike Hubert’s wrists. The purple flames wreathed around him died down in an instant, but he wasn’t down for the count yet.

Dimitri glanced over at Ashe, who was already nocking another arrow. “Be careful. A normal student wouldn’t have been able to land a hit on them from here. Such marksmanship might prove suspicious.” He whispered to him.

“Sorry, Your Highness. It’s hard to break old habits.”

“There’s no need for apologies. We’ll need your sharp eyes in future battles. But for now, may I suggest you do something reckless?”

“Reckless…?” Ashe turned his gaze towards the approaching Black Eagles. His eyes widened for a split second before he shouted, “Your Highness! Watch out!”

The archer threw himself in front of Dimitri to block an incoming arrow. Its rubber tip didn’t pierce through Ashe, but it did strike his shoulder painfully. Ashe flopped onto the ground in an exaggerated motion. He lifted a hand to reach towards the sky, as if something in the heavens called for him.

“Your Highness, I am done for. It was an honor serving you…”

His theatrics were a bit unnecessary in Dimitri’s opinion. Both of them would have been able to shrug off that arrow as if it were a minor inconvenience. But Ashe was merely doing what he had asked of him. Dimitri reluctantly decided to play along in order to seal the deal. He took his hand and gently pressed it against his chest. “Rest easy, Ashe. You were too good for this world.”

The ‘dying’ man let out a snort of laughter. In the distance, Dimitri heard Bernadetta wailing over her heinous crime. Byleth tried to calm her down by complimenting her on her shot. As Ashe scurried away, Dimitri heard a guttural cry from the allies to his left. Dedue did the best he could to fend off Petra, but he didn’t anticipate Linhardt to join the fray. A sparkling Nosferatu spell enveloped the axe wielder, sapping the last of his strength.

“Your Highness… Forgive me.” Dedue muttered when Dimitri raced to his side. Unlike Ashe, his pained voice and movements was genuine.

“You did well. There’s no need to apologize. Please, you must leave before you sustain more damage.” Dimitri raised his lance to ward off Petra’s sword. He could tell that Dedue didn’t want to abandon him, but Jeralt’s call forced him off the field. 

With his injured friend gone, he could focus solely on the nimble sword fighter in front of him. Dueling with Petra reminded him of his spars with Felix, even though their styles were completely different. When she dodged to his left and attempted to slash at his side, he felt his earlier practice kicking in. He moved his lance to block the attack, then shoved her back and jabbed at her in quick succession. She managed to swerve enough to avoid the brunt of his spear, only to be engulfed by Annette’s wind spell. The blustery gale threw her off balance and Dimitri stabbed her chest with the blunt end of his spear to finish the job.

One more Black Eagle down. Or make that two. When Dimitri and Annette turned to Linhardt, he threw up his hands and surrendered. 

“I can’t possibly take both of you on. So I’ll just save you the trouble and leave.” He simply stated before running off.

Annette exhaled loudly. “Whew. I would have been dead meat if you hadn’t shown up.” 

“I’m sure you would have been fine.” Dimitri replied just as a loud explosion drew his attention. Both he and Annette glanced over to the northern end of the field. Ingrid loudly berated Sylvain for a dumb decision of some sort just as Jeralt ordered Sylvain away. She then threw herself at Leonie while Lysithea and Manuela traded spells with Hanneman and Mercedes.

“Always the same tactic, year after year!” Hanneman shouted at Manuela. “You’ll need more creativity if you wish to end my winning streak!”

“How about I don’t fix what isn’t broken? Our ambush is working out so far!” Manuela yelled back.

She had spoken too soon, because Ingrid shoved Leonie to the ground right after she finished her sentence. And then an arrow nailed Lysithea from behind, leaving Manuela all alone. The Golden Deer were so occupied with the Blue Lions, they had forgotten to watch their back for the encroaching Black Eagles. Byleth, Edelgard, Hubert, and Bernadetta deliberately took the long way around the battlefield in order to avoid Dimitri and Annette and to ambush the ambushers. 

Except that Claude, Hilda, and Marianne should have noticed them long before it got to that point. After all, they were supposed to be stationed in the thickets, which was in the middle of everything. And now they were gone. Dimitri realized too late that the trio had, in fact, snuck away from their position in order to sneak attack Mercedes and Hanneman. Claude shot an arrow at Mercedes, who was busy healing Ingrid, and she went down like a sack of rocks.

“Mercie! No!” Annette sprinted towards her, her hand glowing with magic. Dimitri ran after her as fast as he could, but the mage’s anxiety made her run much faster than she normally could. Then, in a blink of an eye, she sank into the earth. Dimitri stopped in his tracks before he also fell into the conveniently placed pitfall.

“Oh wow. And here I was worried that my trap wouldn’t catch anyone for the entire battle.” Claude smirked.

“Owwww!” Annette’s shrill voice rang up from the hole. “Is this even legal?!”

“All is fair in love and war, kid!” Jeralt called out from his perch. “You always have to watch your step on the battlefield!”

“I can’t believe that you would stoop to such lowly tactics.” Dimitri pointed his lance at Claude.

“Hey, if the Blade Breaker himself approves, then it can’t be all that bad.” Claude aimed his bow at Dimitri in return. 

Things weren’t looking so good for the Blue Lions. The only members that remained besides himself were Ingrid and Hanneman, and he was sure that they would also be defeated soon. He never would have imagined that he would find himself in this predicament. Perhaps the others took his advice of holding back a bit too seriously. 

But secrecy be damned. He wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Dimitri let out a battle cry as he charged towards the other house leader. The three Golden Deer retreated back into the thickets to hide behind cover but the dense foliage didn’t slow him down at all. Dimitri trampled through the leaves to pounce on them like a lion. Hilda wildly swung her axe and missed him entirely, its blade burrowing into the ground instead. Dimitri kicked its handle out of her hands, breaking it in the process, and smacked her with his lance for good measure. 

“Ouch! Was that really necessary?” She whined. He ignored her pitiful look to go after Claude next. He had retreated further in, almost reaching the northern edge of the thickets. He shot two arrows at him, and although one wound up in the brambles, the other one struck Dimitri squarely in the chest. The impact actually hurt and made him pause, allowing Claude time to draw another arrow. Dimitri couldn’t allow himself to get shot again, even though another hit wouldn’t actually stop him. Jeralt might call out to force him to give up and not push himself beyond his limits. But what could he do? He was too far away and the plants were too thick to close the distance in time. Maybe he could throw his lance at him? It wasn’t built for tossing, and it would likely get lost in the bushes for his trouble, but it seemed like his only option left. 

Unless a Miasma spell were to bombard Claude right before he let go of his bowstring. He yelped in pain and dropped his arrow. Behind him were the survivors of the northern skirmish: Edelgard, Byleth, and Hubert. Dimitri would have been grateful for their assistance if it had been anyone else. But seeing them, especially Edelgard, made his blood boil even more.

“Huh. Didn’t expect you three to come out of that alive.” Claude’s eyes kept shifting from Dimitri to the Black Eagles and back. Marianne looked equally nervous as she healed his wounds.

“And I didn’t expect you to still be standing.” Edelgard replied.

“Awww, princess. I’m touched by your concern.”

“I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about Prince Dimitri.”

She hefted her axe as she turned her violet eyes towards him. Dimitri gripped his own weapon tightly, preparing to attack. The whispers had grown louder and bolder from the adrenaline flowing through his veins and now they reached a fervent high when he set his sights on Edelgard. He sought to ignore them as best he could, like how he always did, but he could feel his control slipping away. After all, the last time he faced Edelgard like this, she murdered Byleth without mercy or hesitation. It would only be natural to do the same to her, according to the ghosts around him.

“What kind of son are you, to ignore your father for so long?” A familiar voice whispered into his ear. “Kill her! Remove her wicked head from her shoulders so that her blood can feed the fallen!”

A smile crept onto his face as he stampeded towards Edelgard. She raised her axe to block a blow that would have skewered her heart. They struggled against each other for a long minute before Dimitri turned his lance away. He then drove his spear at her again and missed, only stabbing a hole in her cape. She tore it off and threw the cloth at his face. While he tried to wrestle it away, he heard Claude shout something. Once he was free of Edelgard’s cape, he noticed that Hubert was kneeling on the ground, next to an arrow, rubbing his arm. Byleth and Edelgard sought to avenge him by teaming up against Claude. Edelgard’s axe narrowly missed him, but he ended up stepping into Byleth’s sword swing. Her blade knocked his bow out of his hands, slapped his arms away, and directed itself at his neck in one fluid motion. 

“Heh. I guess that’s it for the Golden Deer.” He held up both of his empty hands. Marianne beside him did the same with a downcast expression.

“You two did well to last against so many opponents.” Byleth commented in her usual monotone voice. Claude thanked her before he and Marianne scurried away.

The brief minute of repose did nothing to satiate the hunger of ghosts. Dimitri lunged at Edelgard again while Byleth was talking to Claude. This time, she barely dodged, and the tip of his lance left a bloody gash on her side. Dimitri reeled forward, plunged his lance into the ground, and pivoted around it to prevent himself from falling. He still didn’t regain his balance quickly enough. Edelgard took advantage of his moment of weakness to bring her axe down on his back. The blunted end sent shockwaves of pain throughout his entire body. Dimitri had to hold onto his lance to remain on his feet. He could hear Jeralt calling his name in the distance, but the man’s voice was drowned out by the ghosts’ cries for retribution. Edelgard’s eyes widened as he stood back up and jabbed at her several times in quick succession. She could only deflect one or two hits while the rest met their mark all over her. As she stumbled backwards, Dimitri twisted himself and held his lance behind his back to build up momentum for his last move. He swung upwards and then downwards with all his might, aiming for her head, and he might have actually connected with it if it wasn’t for a sword suddenly clashing against his lance.

“Dimitri!” Byleth shouted with a surprising amount of scorn. “That’s enough!”

Her voice shocked all the other voices into silence. What was he doing? This wasn’t Enbarr. Byleth wasn’t dead. She was still alive. Dimitri stared into Byleth’s deep blue eyes, so different from the vibrant cyan ones he was used to. There was anger in them, a rare display of emotion, and it was directed at him. The one who lost his senses and forgot where and when he was.

As confusion turned into guilt, Byleth pushed back and slammed the hilt of her sword into his gut. Without the ghosts fueling his frenzy anymore, he dropped onto both knees from the hit. Aches all over his body blossomed with pain, especially his back. Dimitri had to dig his lance into the dirt in order to stay upright. Edelgard stood tall over him, axe posed to cut him down if he dared to get up again.

“Do you surrender?” She asked in a stone cold voice.

His mind screamed no, but his body said yes. Dimitri lifted his heavy head to glare at her. How dare she looked down at him like he had already lost? As long as he breathed, he would not lose to Edelgard. The newly sparked fury pumped strength into his arms, which he used to pull himself up. Unfortunately, he held onto his lance much too tightly and it splintered in his fist. Without its support, he fell face first into the ground.

“All right, that's that!” Jeralt’s words rang out over the clearing. “The winner of this mock battle is... The Black Eagle House!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in the original ending I had in mind, Dimitri wouldn't go berserk but he'd still lose by breaking his weapon. I ended up picking this version because it's more fun and dramatic. It also throws off some of my plans for future chapters, but I can adapt to it. I just hope that it was IC for him to lose his shit against Edelgard.


	8. Not the living nor the dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lamentation, invitation, and reconciliation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I figured to post this early because I went on a writing spree and have a bit of a backlog to post now. Also the plot for this chapter is somewhat relevant to today. But regardless of whether you're celebrating or not, I hope you all have a good day!

No one, not the living nor the dead, spoke to him after the mock battle was finished.

Their silence suited Dimitri just fine. Manuela healed Dimitri’s back without a word, dulling his bruises into a distant memory. As they marched back to the monastery, the other Blue Lions chatted amongst themselves, sharing stories about their victories and losses. They avoided Dimitri, whether it was because they wanted to give him some space or because they were afraid of his monstrous side that reared its ugly head again. Even Felix didn’t have any snide remarks for him. Although he could feel his disapproving stare boring into his back.

How could Dimitri have lost himself so easily? He thought that the mission that Byleth bequeathed to him would be possible to accomplish. But if Dimitri flew into a rage every time he stepped onto the same battlefield as Edelgard, then this would not work out at all. What could he do about this? Was there something he could do? The voices never truly left, not even after Rodrigue gave up his life to save him. They merely came and went as they please. He ignored them most of the time, but when his fighting spirit blazed to life, so too did the ghosts. They became unquenchable, their demanding scream overrode his sanity. Goddess knows what would have happened to Edelgard if Byleth hadn’t stepped in at the last moment.

He glanced towards her. The professor was ahead of him in the procession and also right next to Edelgard. They spoke to each other in hushed voices, probably going over the mock battle. What did she think of him now, he wondered. Did she still want to help him after he revealed his bloodthirsty side? Certainly the war was bigger than any grudge she could hold against him. But he didn’t know if she could trust him as much now, and that doubt wounded him more than any injury he had sustained today.

“Your Highness.” A baritone voice snapped him out of his thoughts, although he still found himself staring at the professor’s cape.

“What is it, Dedue?”

“I am very sorry that I let you and the class down during the mock battle. If I were more competent, you wouldn’t have had to face Edelgard and Professor Byleth alone.”

Dedue’s unfounded apology rattled Dimitri to his core. He should be the one apologizing, for dashing any hopes of reconciliation.

“It is not your fault. You performed admirably.”

“But it is. Perhaps if I had stayed by your side instead of protecting Annette-”

“-Then you would have been targeted by Hubert and defeated just as quickly.” Dimitri shook his head. “There is no point in dwelling on what-ifs. What has happened, happened. No one can rectify their past mistakes. All we can do is move forward and use our failures to better ourselves.”

Dimitri should be listening to himself, honestly. If he took his words to heart, then he would be able to stop worrying about today’s fight against Edelgard and how it would impact their tenuous relationship. But in his mind, Dedue’s defeat in a practice battle was far more easily forgiven and forgotten.

“I will resolve to train harder than ever before. I promise to not disappoint you again, Your Highness.”

“You haven’t disappointed me, Dedue. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Then why do you wear such a somber expression?”

Dimitri must look really pitiful if even Dedue noticed it. He shook his head again as if to dispel his melancholy. “Because I suppose I am disappointed in myself. You have noticed my transgressions earlier today, haven’t you?”

“If you are speaking about the way you fought with Edelgard, then I have no qualms against that.”

“I could have _ killed _ her, Dedue. I wasn’t thinking clearly and I almost endangered the mission. In fact, the mission may already be in jeopardy. Surely Edelgard must hate me with every fiber of my being.”

“It’s only natural that you treat such an encounter with her like a fight to the death. After all, you were engaged in war against the Adrestian Empire only a week ago.”

“Please do not speak of such things so openly.” Dimitri glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. Luckily, they were surrounded by the other time-displaced Blue Lions, who wouldn’t have cared if they heard him. 

“There’s nothing natural about… why I acted the way I did.” He couldn’t possibly air his grievances about his ghosts in such a public space. “And even if it was natural, that doesn’t make it right. I must hold myself back the next time we face against each other. If there is a next time.”

“Of course. But, Your Highness, I don’t believe she hates you as much as you think.”

“What makes you say that?”

“While I was watching your bout with Edelgard, she did not appear to be frightened or angered. She seemed to be determined. Driven to defeat an impossible foe. I imagine that she enjoyed fighting against a strong opponent that gave it his all. If I had to hazard a guess as to why that is… You gave her the opportunity to evaluate not only your strength, but also hers.”

“Are you sure she didn’t look happy because she was winning that fight?” Dimitri remarked.

“I cannot say anything for certain when it comes to Edelgard, but I did not say that she looked elated.”

“Hm.” He didn’t expect to hear such an opinion from a man that usually didn’t voice any opinions. Dimitri turned those words over and over in his mind until they were worn smooth like pebbles in a riverbed. From what he knew of Edelgard, both before and during the war, she did seem like the type of person to hold strength in high regards. She displayed that line of thinking during their conversation, just before the Kingdom invaded Enbarr. He disagreed with much of what she said at that time, and he still didn’t wish for a world ruled by the strong. But if he was to turn Edelgard away from those ideals, he would have to understand them first.

“Still, I don’t think she appreciated her head almost being speared off of her shoulders.” Dimitri sighed. Before they could talk about their ideals, he would have to apologize to her about that incident and hoped that she accepted his apology.

“Of course.” Dedue nodded. “But it is like you say. ‘All we can do is move forward and use our failures to better ourselves.’”

“What I did was more than just a simple failure.” Dimitri winced at hearing his own words used against him. “But I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you, Dedue.”

“You are welcome. But I think it would be safest if I remain by your side when you apologize to Edelgard.”

Dimitri sighed. Of course he would say something like that. “If you must.”

* * *

The Blue Lions reconvened with Hanneman when they returned to Garreg Mach. Their professor was very impressed with how they fought, stating that they were his strongest class yet. However, there were a bunch of flaws that they had to fix if they hoped to become great commanders. Most of those deficiencies could be attributed to the Blue Lions’ efforts to look less competent than they actually were. Particularly his bit about how several students focused only on their fight and didn’t care about their allies, and thus the bigger picture. 

“If you don’t learn to cooperate as a team, then you will never be able to survive a real battle. One person cannot hope to win against an army. So everyone must do their part in order to make sure that it never gets to that point.”

They all knew that. They just acted otherwise to sell him their portrayal as amateur combatants. Or, in the case of Felix and Sylvain, genuinely overestimated their younger bodies and underestimated the competition.

Hanneman also singled out Dimitri for his reckless behavior. As he couldn’t offer any explanations that could placate his teacher, only stating that he had lost control, he had to be punished accordingly. Dimitri couldn’t use the training grounds or participate in training missions without direct supervision from a faculty member for a month. In addition, he had to conduct training drills that would improve his control over his strength. At the moon’s end, if he performed those drills to Hanneman’s satisfaction, then he would have fulfilled his sentence.

Once Hanneman’s review was over, everyone turned their attention to Dimitri.

“So, Your Highness, are you feeling any better?” Sylvain asked while rubbing the back of his head.

“Yes. Quite. Thank you for your concern.”

“But really, what happened back there?” Annette frowned. “I thought you’ve recovered from… you know.”

“I’m afraid that I’ll never fully recover from that.” Dimitri scanned over the faces of his friends. They all wore worried looks, save for Felix, whose gaze was turned away from him. “However, I promise that I won’t lose myself like that again.”

“As if. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, boar.”

Almost all of the other Blue Lions turned to glare at Felix, as if they couldn’t believe he would be so insensitive right after an incident. He said nothing in return and pretended that he didn’t just earn the ire of his friends.

“Do not think that His Highness was the only one that failed during the mock battle.” Dedue’s usually serene expression clouded over with anger as he glared at Felix. “Especially since you were the first to fall.”

“Yeah, what’s up with that, Felix?” Sylvain’s dour mood lifted when he sensed an opportunity to egg his friend. “How come you couldn’t dodge all those spells with your dancerly grace?”

“Shut up, Sylvain.” He growled. “Or do you want me to ask how you got annihilated by a little girl?”

“Hey, how about you call her a ‘little girl’ to her face and see if you come out any better!”

“To be fair, Lysithea’s magic was a bit terrifying to behold.” Ingrid shrugged. She managed to beat a student before being honorably defeated by Edelgard so her pride wasn’t on the line like the other two.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to face her again.” Ashe muttered. He fell silent when he remembered how she died at Grondor field, six years from now. Judging from how everyone else went quiet, they remembered as well.

“Hmmm.” Mercedes let out a thoughtful hum. “I know that we’re focused on stopping Edelgard’s war, but do we need to do anything about Claude and the Golden Deer?”

Dimitri propped his chin over his hand. If they were going to start plotting stuff, he wished that he had brought that parchment with all their notes. “The way I see it, they are a reactive force. They aren’t going to do much if the war doesn’t start.”

“So we’re going to just leave them alone? If something happens anyway, and we meet them at Grondor field again...” Ashe sighed.

“I don’t know if we can do anything to stop them _ now, _ considering how far in the future that is.” 

“We could befriend them?” Annette suggested. “I mean, I know friendship isn’t always the solution, but that’s part of the reason why the Officer’s Academy has students from all over. Right?”

“No. The more important factor is preventing the boar from losing his mind again. That’s what caused them to turn in the first place.”

“Felix, just go back to brooding. You’re not helping anyone.” Ingrid shot a glare his way.

“Er, yes. I know I have to hold myself back.” Dimitri couldn’t bring himself to object to Felix’s insults because he knew he was right in a twisted way. “But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to improve our relationships with the Golden Deer students as well. They may have the resources and knowledge we need to carry out the rest of our plans.”

“And, you know, it’s just the nice thing to do.” Sylvain added.

“Great!” Annette smiled. “That’s one plan I’m looking forward to!”

“Oh! Are you going to bake sweets for them, Annie?”

“Yup! And why stop there? I’m going to-”

A knock on the door interrupted Annette. The goddess must have a strange sense of humor, because when Dimitri opened the classroom door, Claude greeted him with a smile and a wave.

“Heya. I hope I’m not barging in on another one of your class huddles.”

“Hello Claude. Do you have business with us?”

He could hear Annette slapping her forehead in the background at his stiff wording. Dimitri did honestly believe in her idea, but he could never be too cautious with Claude. The last time he saw the future Duke of Riegan, he gave Dimitri his house’s Relic and the Alliance itself, then left Fódlan for good. He still didn’t know what the strange man meant to accomplish with all that. 

“Not any business, per say.” Claude stretched his arms behind his head. “But my house is planning to have a loser’s feast in the dinner hall tonight. Seeing as you Lions are fellow losers, we wanted to know if you would want to join us?”

“A loser’s feast?” Dimitri squinted. He did vaguely recall Claude throwing a party last time, but he didn’t invite any other houses back then.

“Yeah! We were planning to have a feast either way, actually. There’s nothing like a good mock battle to work up an appetite after all!”

“Oh! Count me in!” Annette exclaimed as she raised a hand. “I’ll even help you guys cook!”

“If Annie’s coming, then I’ll join too. Especially if she wants to use the kitchen…”

“I guess it might be fun?”

“Eh, yeah. Why not? The Golden Deer house has a lot of cute girls at least.”

“Sylvain! That’s not something you say in front of their house leader!”

“Hey, I don’t mind. I’ll look better to them if I get to stop your exploits.”

Dimitri had no clue where all this energy came from. One moment they were lamenting about the deaths of many Golden Deer students in the future, and the next moment they were chatting Claude up like they didn’t know what would happen. But he supposed that they didn’t need to plot during every minute of the day. Their time displacement also gave them a second chance to enjoy their peaceful school year again. Which was the last year of peace and the last year they could be with many of their non-Faerghus friends. Unless the looming war could be averted, of course.

“Thank you for inviting us, Claude. It’s very kind of you to include your fellow losers.”

“No problem. And I even invited the winners too, just for you.”

Claude’s statement killed the buzz in the air. Dimitri felt everyone’s eyes burning holes into his cape. They had every right to be nervous, considering how he interacted with Edelgard earlier. But he resolved to take Dedue’s words (or really, his own words) seriously and work towards making amends.

Annette still had objections though. “Hey, I thought this was supposed to be a loser’s feast? Why bring the Black Eagles?”

Claude let out a laugh. “Let’s face it. You guys should have been the winners. You all fought like you’ve done this a dozen times before, maybe even more. In fact, if it weren’t for their new professor, the Black Eagles would have crumbled like we did. Perhaps my house should hold some late-night meetings like you guys. Except that most of us aren’t night owls, so that wouldn’t work out…”

His ramblings were loaded with implications that drove fear into Dimitri’s heart. Firstly, he knew of their midnight plotting sessions. Secondly, he wasn’t fooled by their admittedly poor acting. Dimitri knew that they all tried their best to ward off suspicion. But he also knew that Claude had a very keen eye for seeing through facades, being a tactician and a schemer and all. 

Well, now he had more reasons to reconsider Annette’s friendship idea. If he could figure out what Claude was really up to, that would be one less thing to worry about in the future. Dimitri chuckled as if he was shrugging off Claude’s unspoken accusations. “I’m honored that you think so highly of us. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to let you in on our training regimes, since you have gone through the trouble of hosting a feast.”

* * *

The dining hall became a sight to behold by the time the Golden Deer were done with it. And that was saying a lot, considering the number of royal banquets Dimitri had to attend.

Food was piled onto every available surface. Candles and lamps lit up the room with a warm and friendly glow. Delectable odors filled the air. Most of the food was prepared by the monastery staff, but Dimitri spotted several dishes that were undoubtedly made by some of the students. For instance, the pheasant roast with berry sauce was a signature dish that Ashe learned from his parents. Dedue’s grilled herring was seasoned with spices from Duscur. And the haphazard-yet-tidy arrangement of the saghert and cream most certainly belonged to Annette and Mercedes.

What gladdened him the most was how many students were intermingling. Since everyone just came out of a three-way mock battle, there was plenty to talk about. Bernadetta was apologizing to Ashe for ‘killing’ him earlier. Felix and Petra compared sword techniques. Sylvain was trying to get on Lysithea’s good side. Ingrid was engaged in an eating contest with Raphael. Annette was showing Dorothea how to cast a wind spell. Mercedes sat next to Marianne in an attempt to coax her out of her shell.

While Dedue stood by Dimitri, watching him like a hawk. He figured that he would do something like this, but his presence wasn’t entirely unwelcome. None of the people Dimitri spoke to minded the large shadow looming over him. But he wished that Dedue would socialize with others instead. He still feared for Dedue’s fate if the man remained stubbornly loyal, to the point of ostracizing himself from others. Dimitri had half a mind to ask him to leave his side, but that wouldn’t really help his attitude at all.

Dimitri managed to have some enlightening talks despite his overprotective bodyguard. Although most of those talks were initiated by people that were impressed by his skills. Caspar almost challenged him to a fist fight in the middle of the dinner and Ferdinand wanted to observe his lance techniques sometime later. From everyone’s antics and chatter, it seemed like no one (besides Claude) suspected anything strange about the Blue Lions’ performance during mock battle. 

Unfortunately, the person he wanted to speak to most was preoccupied with other guests whenever he glanced her way. Like right now, Edelgard was chatting with the second most person he wanted to talk to, Byleth. He was surprised that the dead didn’t accompany the pang of jealousy that stabbed at his heart. But he supposed that the merriment of the living kept them at bay. Dimitri allowed himself to watch the two women enjoy their meals and their company, waiting for the right moment to approach them and inevitably ruin their mood.

Claude sidled up to him before that moment came. “Soooo how do you like the food?”

“Oh. It’s delicious, Claude. Thank you.”

Truthfully, he couldn’t tell if the food tasted good. He assumed it did, based on its smell and presentation. But every bite he took didn’t register on his taste buds at all. He lacked the ability to taste since the Tragedy of Duscur, almost ten years ago, and as far as he could tell, it wasn’t something he could regain. Just another facet of his life stolen from him so cruelly.

“Don’t thank me. I’m just the guy that roped everyone into this.” Luckily, Claude seemed none the wiser. “Hey, since you’re such a connoisseur, did you want to try this for me?”

He slid Dimitri a slice of cheese. It appeared unassuming. The tiny thing was an ordinary cream color with blue-green spots and a somewhat lumpy surface. When he picked it up, it felt mushy between his fingers. All in all, it was a kind he didn’t recognize.

“You haven’t messed with this, have you?” He squinted at the cheese. It had a rather pungent odor, which would mask any poison or other such substances that might be hidden within. But maybe it was one of those cheeses that tasted better than it smelled.

“Of course not! Why would I tamper with someone’s food at such a joyous feast?” Claude offered him an easy-going grin.

Dimitri glanced towards Dedue, holding the slice up in the air. It was obvious that he didn’t trust Claude, but what did he think of the cheese? He silently asked for his opinion, as both a bodyguard and an accomplished cook. Dedue’s stern gaze studied the seemingly innocuous piece of food for a long and awkward moment. Then he nodded.

Well, if Dedue gave the go-ahead, then it should be at the very least safe. Dimitri bit into the slice of cheese without hesitation. Immediately, an overwhelming sensation flooded his mouth. It was sharp, repugnant, rich, creamy, savory, and offensive. It was like he swallowed a work of art that was left to ferment in an outhouse for several weeks. The flavor was so strong, he coughed and sputtered and had to cover his mouth in order to not spit it out. Dimitri tried to salvage a bit of his dignity by grabbing a glass of water and gulping down the refreshing beverage and the abhorrent wad of dairy in one go. But it was too late. Claude laughed wildly like he had just witnessed the funniest joke of all of Fódlan. Dimitri felt a hand on his shoulder as he struggled to regain his composure.

“Your Highness! Are you well? I should not have let you sampled that cheese.” At least Dedue was loud enough to drown out Claude’s lingering giggles.

“I… am fine.” Dimitri inhaled and exhaled deeply. “The taste was surprising. That’s all.”

“Taste?” 

Claude had calmed down enough to speak before Dimitri could ponder about Dedue’s perplexed response. “So, did you like the Garreg Mach Blue? It’s a special cheese that ripened in the secret underground chambers of the monastery. I think you’re the first person I watched that didn’t spit it out right away.”

“It was… interesting.” Dimitri knew that Claude was fishing for a dramatic reaction. But even if he was willing to give him one, he wouldn’t be able to. This was the first time he tasted something in a long while. Because of that, coming up with adequate words to label the flavor was incredibly challenging. ‘Interesting’ was really the only descriptor he could think of.

“Really? That’s it?” Claude let out another laugh. “All that choking and wheezing for ‘interesting’?”

“What else would you call it? Unless you haven’t actually sampled it yourself…?”

“Course I have! Why else would I share this delicacy with others?”

Dimitri suspected that Claude’s implied generosity wasn’t really that. But before he could call him out on it, a light pattering of footsteps approached the table.

“Claude, are you bothering people with your cheese again?” Edelgard didn’t seem amused by the scene in front of her.

“Heya princess! You know, it’s not nice to ask people about their cheese.”

“I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear that.”

“What do you mean by ‘again’?” Dimitri asked Edelgard.

She just sighed at his question. “This man has been asking people at the feast to sample a particularly foul kind of cheese just to see their reaction. Immaturity aside, one has to wonder how he was able to procure enough to pull this prank off in the first place.”

“Oh my, won’t you look at the time?” Claude pulled an imaginary watch out of his pockets. “I should be checking up on my Golden Deer. Because I’m _ such _ a responsible house leader and all. Catch you two later!”

He skedaddled without another glance back. Dimitri couldn’t help but chuckle at Claude’s sudden departure. Then, as he felt the smile upon his face, he realized how naturally he and Edelgard slipped into an inane conversation with each other. She acted as if he didn’t try to rip off her head earlier today. Did that mean she forgave him already? There was only one way to find out.

“Edelgard…”

“If you’re asking me about how I felt about the Garreg Mach Blue, I do not care to relive that experience.”

“No! I didn’t want to talk about that!” Dimitri frantically shook his head. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier.”

Edelgard stared at him without a hint of emotion on her face. “Apologize for what?”

He couldn’t tell if she genuinely didn’t remember or if she was playing dumb to make him squirm in his seat more. He was leaning towards the latter. Still, he must press on.

“My actions during the mock battle were inexcusable. I wanted so badly to win, I forsakened the basic rules of sparring. I could have severely injured you.”

That was the understatement of the century. But her stony expression gave him no clues as to what she thought about that or his statement. He could only wait in tortuous silence while she formulated a response.

The reply that was on her lips was not one he expected. “Apology accepted.”

“Truly?” Dimitri was so surprised, he accidentally blurted out his own thoughts.

“Yes.” Edelgard nodded. “But only because Professor Byleth tells me you are already being punished by Professor Hanneman.”

“Are you talking about my training drills? That is hardly punishment in my opinion. I need to work on controlling my strength, so it is in fact a welcome change of pace.”

“I thought you said that you almost hurt me because you wanted to win?” Edelgard narrowed her eyes.

Dimitri felt his cheeks flush at his slip up. “Er. Yes. Both reasons go hand in hand.”

She let out a thoughtful hum. “Whatever reason you may have, please use this as an opportunity to reflect and grow. It is one thing for a common soldier to lose control on the battlefield. It is another thing entirely if the future king of Faerghus did so. Your beloved subjects may regard you as a monster… or worse.”

Dimitri knew fully well the dangers of appearing like a monster. He reveled in such a guise when he had succumbed to his ghosts for five years. It was a miracle that he even had any followers at the end of all that. What intrigued him more was the fact that it was Edelgard who was warning him. Was she saying this out of concern for him? Normally he would have been overjoyed to hear that he made such a good impression on her already. But the part of him that knew Edelgard as a cruel tyrant with a heart of ice cautioned him to be wary of her words.

So he mustered up the politest voice he could as he nodded in gratitude. “Thank you, Edelgard. I will take your advice to heart.”

“Very good.” The corner of her mouth turned upwards. “Admittedly, I did enjoy our death match. It is refreshing to face against an opponent whose strength matches mine.”

Dimitri afforded a glance towards Dedue. It turned out his evaluation of Edelgard was correct. Whether Dedue was pleased about this or not remained to be seen. His face remained blank like always.

“I... feel the same way.” He murmured in a lowered voice. Dimitri didn’t care to confess it, but when Edelgard shared the exact same sentiment, he couldn’t help but agree. Having said that, he hurriedly corrected himself so he did not seem so hypocritical. “But I still do not wish to wound you so grievously.”

“That’s what your extra training is for, isn’t it? Perhaps once you’ve finished, you can show me the fruits of your efforts in a one-on-one duel.”

“I like the sound of that. However, we should still hold such a duel in the presence of a teacher. Lest things get out of hand.”

“What, are you afraid of losing again?”

“If I was, I wouldn’t ask for a witness.”

“So you’re looking to show off then?” Edelgard smirked. “That can be arranged. In fact, if our judge was Professor Byleth, then that will make our fight all the more fiercer. I cannot lose in front of her.”

“Edelgard, I’m only proposing this because I’m worried what might happen to the training grounds if neither of us held back.” Dimitri sighed at her enthusiasm. But again, she vocalized the very thoughts he was having. With Byleth as their supervisor, he would be able to redeem himself for the mock battle. The very idea fired him up more than it should have.

“Ah. Speaking of the professor.” Her eyes wandered away from Dimitri and focused on something behind him. Dimitri turned around and spotted her talking with Claude. In the Golden Deer’s hand was a familiar piece of food. He leapt from his seat in order to march over and stop Claude, but Edelgard held up a hand.

“Wait. I want to see what happens.”

“You want to subject her to one of Claude’s pranks? Really?”

“That’s not it. Look.” 

She gestured towards the pair. Byleth had accepted the Garreg Mach Blue and took a bite. Dimitri expected to see her spit it out, choke it down, or maybe slap Claude for his cruel joke. But she just slowly chewed through her morsel with her usual vacant stare. It even seemed like she was enjoying it, judging from how eagerly she devoured the rest of her sample.

“Do you have anymore?” Byleth asked Claude. The bewildered look on his face was priceless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cheese bit was completely unplanned. I only included it because while looking up various things, I saw that Claude mentions swiping cheese for the Golden Deer's post mock battle feast. And then I ran with it.


	9. Harpstring Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri has another talk with Byleth. This time, her words surprise him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I want to thank everyone for their comments, kudos, views, etc! You are all amazing! Usually I've petered out at this point of a long story but your support is what fuels me. Here's to hoping I can keep it going!
> 
> Secondly, I have no idea how long it takes people to travel around Fodlan. In-game, you can apparently do up to three battles in a day, even if those battles are in opposite corners of the map. Plus you get the pre-battle mission briefing in the monastery and then the next day they're at their destination? So I'm going to fudge things a bit to make the plot work. If my guesstimate doesn't seem accurate, I can change it. It's just that I can't get hung up about minor details like this so I picked a number and stuck with it.

The Harpstring Moon was heralded by stunningly sunny weather and a new mission for each of the three houses.

The Black Eagles and Byleth were assigned to rout the bandits that have settled in the holy canyon, Zanado. A lifetime ago, that mission was given to the Blue Lion house. Dimitri would not miss it terribly, however. Back then, it was the first taste of real combat for some students and a mere test of strength for others. Now, with their experience, they would have nothing to gain from such a task. It would be better to leave this to the uninitiated.

That wasn’t to say that their mission with Hanneman held any more significance. The Blue Lions were to escort a bishop to a town called Greine, where he will conduct an elaborate ceremony on the 21st day of the Harpstring Moon, also known as Saint Macuil Day. Greine was located in Margrave Edmund’s territory, in the northeast corner of the Leicester Alliance. The village was so small and unassuming, they couldn’t find it marked down on any of the maps they pulled out at first. Seteth had to supply Hanneman with a special map from the Church’s archives in order to show the route they will take. Seeing as it was in the Alliance, they would have to venture eastwards, into Gloucester territory, then head up north, through Riegan territory. Once they reached Derdriu, they would travel along the coastline until they reached Edmund land and their destination.

It was a pretty lengthy trip for their first real mission. Hanneman estimated that it would take them two days to travel one way, one day to conduct the ceremony, then another two days back. When he heard that they were going to be gone from the monastery for almost a week, Dimitri immediately thought of the things that could go wrong in their absence. If Edelgard and her allies had plans during those days, that timespan would be the perfect opportunity to enact them unimpeded.

Plus, there was their Lord Lonato mission. Ashe and Dimitri had decided to pay him a visit on the weekend of the 17th and 18th. But the Blue Lions were to depart on their escort mission on the 19th. That didn’t give them much leeway if Lord Lonato ended up delaying them. If worse came to worse, Dimitri would gladly miss out on the monthly mission to ensure that Lord Lonato was stopped and lives were saved. A pilgrimage to a town in the middle of nowhere seemed relatively unimportant in comparison.

Still, he would rather not skip it if he didn’t have to. That was one of the few subjects he had in mind when Byleth invited him for a chat in her office/bedroom. But he wasn’t expecting her to serve him tea as well. When Dimitri sipped from the cup she poured for him, he tasted nothing but hot water. He was hoping that his sense of taste was returning ever since he sampled the Garreg Mach Blue, but apparently he had no such luck. Although that didn’t mean the tea was unpleasant. The warm temperature and the scent of lavender soothed his body and senses, allowing him to relax during an otherwise important conversation.

“Why is the Church conducting a ceremony in a remote corner of Fódlan?” She asked as Dimitri pointed out its location on a map.

“Supposedly, Greine has historical significance to Saint Macuil. There is a shrine dedicated to him, and the yearly festival held there is said to be the best of its kind.”

“Yet, it’s not marked on any maps save for the ones the Church possess.”

“It is rather odd, isn’t it? But perhaps the town doesn’t have the infrastructure to support many pilgrims if it became well known.”

Byleth only replied with a silent nod. Dimitri continued on. “Professor, I have a favor to ask. During the five days that we’ll be away, would you watch over Edelgard?”

“That’s what I have been doing.” She tilted her head in confusion.

“Yes, but you will need to be extra cautious. Without me or the other Blue Lions around, you will be the only one that can stop her if she tries something.”

“I understand. Is something going to happen that week?”

“Not that I recall. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Another nod. Dimitri ran a finger over a laid out calendar, resting it on the weekend before their departure. “Ashe, Dedue, and I will also be visiting someone during this weekend. We don’t anticipate any problems, but would you be able to vouch for us if our return is hindered? Especially since this mission is so close to our other mission.”

“I can vouch for you, but I will need to know what you three are doing those days if I’m to create an adequate cover story.”

Dimitri hesitated. He wasn’t used to divulging their secret plans to anyone outside of the Blue Lions. After all, everything would fall apart if they were revealed to the wrong people. But he couldn’t find it in his heart to not trust Byleth. He placed so much faith in her in a different timeline, and his feelings haven’t changed one bit. 

“We’re visiting Lord Lonato of Gaspard, Ashe’s adoptive father.” He finally announced. “He has… a strained relationship with the Central Church. Four years ago, the Knights of Seiros executed his son, Christophe, who was involved in an assasination attempt against the archbishop. Ever since then, he harbored a deep grudge against the Church of Seiros. If we don’t stop him now, then he will incite a rebellion against the Church next month. Lady Rhea will send your class to assist the Knights in quelling it, and Lord Lonato and his troops are routed.”

“I see.” Byleth was taking his explanation in stride. Dimitri was certain that anyone else would be bewildered by his recounting of future events. Her calm demeanor made his words flow more smoothly.

“Will you kill Lord Lonato then?”

“No!” He exclaimed a little too loudly. “I mean, that is our absolute last resort. We hope that we can change his mind by talking to him before he actually picks up his lance.”

“Ah.” She took a sip of her tea. 

“I implore you to not speak of this to anyone else. If we are unable to succeed and Lord Lonato rebels anyway, then others may think it suspicious that we met with him only a month prior.”

“Alright. What sort of lie should I tell if someone were to ask about it during your absence?”

“You can tell them that I am off on official Kingdom business and Ashe is accompanying me for the experience.”

“That works.” Byleth nodded. A short pause lingered between them. Dimitri had one other topic in his mind that burned on his tongue. But she spoke up before he did.

“Can I ask you about our mission to Zanado? Your class was with me last time, am I correct?”

“Certainly. What did you want to know?”

She fell silent again. Her lips made subtle movements as she crafted the questions she wanted to ask. 

“Firstly, will our mission affect the upcoming war against the Empire?”

“Not that I’m aware of. The bandits are just bandits with no bearing over the future.” 

“Secondly, is there anything I should be aware of during the fight itself? Any ambushes, traps, or other unpleasant surprises?”

Dimitri thought long and hard about his answer. Details about his time in Zanado were hazy at best since it has been several years since he embarked on that mission. But if nothing extraordinary stood out to him, then that must mean the battle was simple and straightforward.

“I don’t believe so. Oh, but Kostas is the leader of the group you’ll be facing. We fought him during our first encounter in Remire village, if you recall.”

“I do.” Byleth stated. “Thank you for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome.” He assumed that was the end of that, but Byleth apparently had one more question to ask. 

“And lastly…” She glanced downwards at her empty cup of tea. With how long it took her to compose her question, it must be a loaded one. She eventually decided on what to say and lifted her eyes to meet his.

“Are the students fine afterwards?”

Dimitri blinked. For a moment, he had forgotten that he was speaking to a younger and more inexperienced Byleth. But now that he was paying closer attention, it was more apparent. The way that she paused to think of the right words, the uncertainty in her wavering voice, the desire for details that would ensure her victory. He wondered for a moment if he was the right person she should be relying on. Yes, he knew of the future. But depending on such knowledge instead of learning to stand on her own two feet might prove to be detrimental.

That was something he needed to ponder about later. Byleth was still expecting a response with eager eyes. “If by fine you mean physically unharmed, then yes. No one died or suffered from severe injuries. However, things will play out differently for the Black Eagles.”

“I am aware. But I was asking if my students will be able to cope with their first kill. Their first real battle.”

And if she would be able to comfort them if they couldn’t cope. Dimitri sensed that unspoken question by reading the anxiety on her face. She should be asking another instructor this sort of question. He had never been placed in a teaching position like this, nor has he ever been one of those students that needed care after the first mission. His hands have been already exposed to blood long before he joined the Officer’s Academy.

He took a deep breath and sought to answer her the best he could anyway. “People react in different ways. Most of the Blue Lions, for example, have been trained for combat before they could read or write. They already expect that they have to kill someone sooner or later. But for those that are shaken by the experience… They will look to you for strength. They will fight on because you are there, encouraging them and leading by example.”

“Hm.” Byleth rested a hand against her cheek. She didn’t seem enthused by his response. Perhaps it was because she had her own self-confidence issues. Dimitri wasn’t used to being her motivational speaker when she was the one to assume that role last time. So he shouldn’t be surprised if his words fell flat sometimes. 

But it still stung to see her so uneasy. He tried to correct himself by talking more. “It’s okay if you’re not comfortable with talking to them, or don’t know what to say. Actions can speak louder than words. On the battlefield, stand strong and strike your opponents down without hesitation. And outside of it, indicate that you care with small, good deeds. Like you can give gifts, have tea with them, or be more lenient with their homework. These kinds of actions will add up and you will become their beloved professor in no time.”

“I think I understand.” She hung onto his speech with rapt eyes. “Thank you, Dimitri. You should be the teacher instead of me.”

“I’m not so certain about that.” Dimitri let out a quiet laugh. “I’ve learned all this from you in the first place. And besides, you have your time manipulation abilities should things go wrong.”

“I do, but I’m not well acquainted with my powers yet.” Byleth shook her head. “I have only used them twice so far.”

“Really? I had assumed that you were more proficient than that. When have you used your powers, out of curiosity?”

“This ability has only awakened recently. The first time was back in Remire Village, when I saved Edelgard from Kosta. I had to rewind time because I almost died on my first attempt.”

“Ah. I thought your moves seemed suspicious at the time.”

“And the second time... was during the recent mock battle. When you and Edelgard fought…”

Byleth trailed off as she averted her gaze. She didn’t need to finish her sentence. Dimitri already knew what she was about to say.

“About that…” Now he was the one fumbling over his words, struggling to come up with a decent apology. “I am very sorry for what transpired. I lost control over myself. I know that isn’t a good excuse, but it’s the easiest way to explain why I acted the way I did. I already promised myself that this will not happen again.”

Byleth still didn’t meet his eyes as she spoke. “You didn’t lose control of your strength. I can tell. You fought like she was your mortal enemy. Like you were a crazed beast who care for nothing but her blood.”

He had heard those words, time and time again, from Felix and other such people that didn’t sugarcoat words. But to hear them from someone he trusted completely… They were like a dagger that dug directly into his heart and stole his breath away.

“Was the war against the Empire that horrific? Were her actions so deplorable, they could reduce you to such a state?”

“The war was terrible, yes. But I… have been like this for some time now. Even before Edelgard declared war. Do you know of the Tragedy of Duscur?”

Byleth shook her head. He was flabbergasted for a moment, then remembered that the former mercenary had been incredibly sheltered from much of Fódlan’s current events. He might of had to explain this the last time too.

“The Tragedy of Duscur refers to an incident four years ago, near the border of the Kingdom of Faerghus and of Duscur. My father, King Lambert, sought to improve relationships with the neighboring country. But this was not a popular idea among many Kingdom nobles. They instigated an assasination attempt on our convoy. So many people were lost to the flames that day. My father, my stepmother, Glenn… I was the only survivor.”

Dimitri could feel Byleth’s eyes upon him again. He didn’t deserve such pity, not with what he was about to say. “Ever since then, I can see and hear their ghosts. They yearn for vengeance against those who killed them. Their screams eroded at my sanity, and their thirst became my thirst. I came to this academy to find their murderers, and one of them turned out to be Edelgard.”

“Edelgard…?” Byleth gasped in disbelief.

“Or so I thought. She associated with those who started the massacre, but she couldn’t have directly participated because she was the same age as me back then. Still, the ghosts wanted her head. Her demise became my sole fixation when the war started. I existed in that state for many years, until a loved one’s death and your words coaxed me out of it. But even afterwards, the voices still lurk in the darkest recesses of my heart. They will forever haunt me, waiting for the moment I let my guard down in order to exact their revenge. I thought that I could steel myself against them, but my fight with Edelgard proved otherwise. I’m sorry that I wasn’t strong enough.”

She remained quiet. Just as expected. How could a novice teacher, someone who just moments ago confessed to her inability to comfort, know what to say to such a story? The silence between them was deafening. At least the voices he spoke of were not stirred awake by his explanation. They would certainly make a bad situation worse.

“I am sorry. For what you have been through.” Byleth finally spoke up. “I have no recollection of what my future self said to you. But I hope to help you as much as she did. So if there’s anything I can do…”

“There is one thing.” Dimitri mumbled. “It’s a selfish request, coming from someone that almost murdered one of your students.”

“Please. Tell me.”

“If something like that were to happen again, you must stop me. By any means necessary.”

More silence. He just kept on her piling burdens upon burdens. At least this time, she was quicker to reply. “Even if I must kill you?”

Dimitri paused. He was about to say yes, but if Byleth carried through with such a promise last time, then he wouldn’t be here today. He had accomplished so much because of her mercy and refusal to leave his side. He couldn’t ask this of her, even though he so desperately feared what might happen if he lost himself again. His doubt over this decision guilted him further, almost pushing him towards his original answer. 

But Byleth shook her head before he could say anything. “I won’t. You crawled out of your pit once. You can do it again. You are stronger than you realize. We don’t need such such an agreement to sour our relationship. I will stop your rampages, but I will not end your life prematurely. You still have to stop the war, and your friends cannot do this without you.”

“I... “ Dimitri was at a loss for words. For a moment, he heard a bit of future Byleth’s confidence in her voice. The same voice that saved him, a lifetime ago… If she had that same unwavering determination, then he must believe what she said. And he must believe in himself too. 

“Thank you, Professor.” He had a hard time keeping his voice straight. “I’m sorry that I asked such a request from you.”

“Don’t think much of it. Just do the best you can. And if you can’t, you have people that you can rely on. Myself included. Please remember that.”

“I will. Thank you again. You’re better at this than you think, you know.”

“Only because I had help.” Byleth replied just as the monastery bells tolled, signalling the end of a day.

“Oh. Our meeting lasted longer than I thought it would.” Dimitri commented.

“Yes it did.”

“Well I won’t keep you from your work. Thank you for lending an ear.”

“It was no problem at all. But before you go…”

Byleth grabbed some cookies off of a platter, wrapped them in napkins, and handed them to him. She must have noticed that he didn’t take any during their tea time. Dimitri was about to protest against the presents, citing his lack of taste, but then remembered what he told her earlier. About how small gifts helped her let a student know that she cared for them.

Knowing the meaning behind her actions, he couldn’t possibly refuse. If he said no, then she would only be getting mixed signals. He graciously took the cookies, resolving to give them to someone else later, and left the room with a less turbulent mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally combined with the next, but it got too long. Since I split it up, expect the second part to be posted soon!


	10. Shattered mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Lions attempt to unveil the true identities of Jeritza and Tomas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little forewarning, there is a bit of canon divergence/made up plot stuff in this chapter. Not a lot, but it's buildup for bigger changes in the future as the Blue Lions alter the course of history. Also since I'm making up a lot of stuff, it doesn't really spoil other routes for now.

The last time she saw him, his shattered mask revealed a bloodied face that labored to speak his last words.

“Mer...cedes…”

She hugged Emile’s broken body tightly, as if to prevent any lingering spark of life from leaving him. She was unsuccessful. No matter how many heal spells she used, how many apologies she offered, and how many prayers she sent up to the goddess, her brother was dying in her arms. As she wept, the murderous intent in his eyes slowly faded away to reveal a familiar, gentle look that she hadn’t seen in so many years. And then that stare disappeared too, replaced by a cold vacancy that she had also grown to recognize from her time on the battlefield.

Now those dull purple eyes were alive again. They were hidden behind a different mask, but the mask didn’t hide his derision as he glared down at Mercedes. Jeritza did not acknowledge her as a dear sister, but as a new pupil that had never touched a spear before, and thus was wasting his time.

That was fine by her. She did not expect to mend her relationship with her half-brother so quickly. After all, she had left him to the whims of his father, the cruel baron of House Bartels. She couldn’t help but think that he resented her for that. Yet the goddess had given her a precious second chance to make things right. She must still try to reach out to him, even though he was currently regarding her with disdain.

Her plans would go more smoothly if she was the only one in the training grounds. But as fate would have it, Mercedes wasn’t the only student enrolled in his lance classes for complete newbies. To her left was Hubert, the intimidating retainer of Edelgard von Hresvelg. She had never seen him showing any interest in lances, both during their time at the academy and during the years of warfare. She wondered what could have changed his mind in this timeline. Perhaps Byleth had something to do with it?

And to her right was the meek and timid Marianne. Mercedes hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her after Fódlan was plunged into war. She had a gruesome theory about her disappearance, and it didn’t involve any sudden interest in lances. Mercedes’s presumption lent itself to pity when the blue-haired girl practically shriveled up underneath Jeritza’s gaze. The poor thing mumbled a silent prayer underneath her breath as her teacher scrutinized her from head to toe. 

Once he was done sizing up his new students, he crossed his arms and spoke up in a baritone voice.

“For those of you who do not know me yet, I am Jeritza von Hrym. The Officer Academy’s newest combat instructor. But while I am teaching you, call me ‘sir’. This is not a request.”

The three of them nodded. Well, both Mercedes and Hubert nodded. Marianne just glanced down at her feet.

“Do not just nod. Say something.”

“Yes.” Two of the three students said.

“What did I just tell you to call me?”

“Yes, _ sir _.” They corrected themselves. Mercedes spared a sidelong glance towards Hubert. She was surprised to see that his usual standoffish expression had morphed into open contempt. She would have thought that the two men would be on better terms, since they were both part of Edelgard’s army.

If Jeritza noticed Hubert’s scorn or Marianne’s silence, he didn’t show it. “I will not be going easy on any of you just because you have never wielded a lance before. This weapon-” He grabbed a training lance from a nearby rack. “-is not a toy. It is a tool of death. You will kill people with it, or be killed with it. The outcome will depend on your effort. And I will not stake my career on three novices that shouldn’t even be near a lance in the first place. If I sense that you are not progressing adequately or not taking your training seriously, then I will remove you from this class immediately. Consider this a warning.”

“Yes, sir.” Hubert and Mercedes repeated.

Jeritza’s eyes focused on Mercedes. She didn’t take his words as a threat, but as a genuine concern for her safety. So there was some brotherly love underneath that cold exterior! She couldn’t help but smile a bit. Unfortunately, he interpreted her grin as a sign she didn’t treat him seriously and tossed her the lance he was holding. She barely managed to catch it without dropping in on the floor. 

“First, how to hold a lance.” Jeritza gave lances to his other two students in a noticeably less rough manner. He then grabbed a lance of his own to demonstrate. “There are many ways to hold a lance. You may hold it like this to stab an enemy-”

He jabbed his lance forward with a decisive thrust. “-or like this to slash an enemy.” He then swung the lance in a wide arc. 

“You will also need to account for the distance between you and your foe, and adjust accordingly.” He stabbed again, this time pushing the weapon further out than his first stab. He then showed off and commentated upon several other techniques that were far beyond Mercedes’s current capabilities. She still tried her best to pay attention, especially to his hands.

“For now, you will learn how to hold a lance in an idle position. Once you have established your baseline, you can easily shift into attacks without wasting energy.”

Jeritza held his lance straight forward, with one hand gripping the shaft from underneath and the other hand behind it, elbow crooked. He gestured for the three of them to copy his stance.

Right away, Mercedes struggled to hold her lance as effortlessly as he did. This weapon was heavier than she imagined. She had a difficult time keeping the tip off the ground without any wobbling. The other two had comparable difficulties, with Marianne faring the worst of them. She couldn’t look at Jeritza without trembling with fear, and thus couldn’t study his pose well enough.

Jeritza walked over to their side to coach them more personally. Surprisingly, he had more of a problem with their footwork than with their hands. He tapped on Mercedes’s ankles with his lance, instructing her to keep them further apart. And then to angle her feet in the right direction. And then he had to correct her hands all over again after they slipped while he was correcting her legs. His fingers brushed against her wrist as he guided them to where they should be. To have him so close to her, like years of separation hadn’t shaken their relationship at all… Mercedes glanced up at his face. There was the vaguest hint of something warm in his otherwise cold and steely eyes.

“Thank you, Emile.”

He flinched at the name. The warmth in his eyes vanished in an instant. “My name is not Emile.”

“Oh. Of course. I’m sorry, but you just reminded me so much of my brother.”

His hands quickly withdrew from hers as he took a step back. “Do not let your thoughts wander. You are supposed to be training. Not reminiscing.”

Jeritza turned away and ignored Mercedes’s second apology to work with Marianne. He remained a healthy distance away from her and his words were much harsher, as if his patience with lackluster students had already worn away. She wondered if her comment had put him in a foul mood and now Marianne was suffering from the brunt of it. She silently resolved to make up to her for her mistake at a later time.

After they had gotten comfortable with holding their lances the right way, Jeritza suddenly knocked Mercedes’s lance out of her hand. Its rattle on the floor echoed throughout the training hall.

“Pick it up.” He ordered.

She eyed him for a moment, wondering if there was a trick to this. When he said nothing else, she bent over and grabbed it again. She tried her best to remember how her hands and feet were positioned, but she didn’t resume her stance quickly enough. Jeritza let out a frustrated sigh and smacked her lance away once more.

“Again.” 

Mercedes picked it up the same way as before, and fumbled with it the same way as before, which led Jeritza to swat it to the ground the same way as before. This cycle repeated several times and with the other students as well. After 10th or so time, she felt like she was getting a little quicker at this, but she was still not meeting his expectations. Her muscles were also starting to hurt too, with all the bending and posing she had to do.

During this ordeal, other students and teachers came and went from the training grounds. One such passerby was Dimitri, who was conducting lance drills with Shamir’s oversight. While Jeritza was occupied with Hubert, she stole a glance in his direction. Apparently Dimitri had the same idea at the same time, and his light blue eyes met her dark purple eyes. His slight frown and furrowed brow indicated that he recognized her plight. When Jeritza knocked her lance away again, Dimitri shifted himself into an idle stance. Mercedes did her best to copy him from afar. She then turned her attention to Jeritza, hoping that this was enough to satisfy him. A look of surprise did cross his face, but then it was washed away by irritation as he brought the handle of his lance down on her wrists.

“No cheating.” He growled.

“Yes, sir. Sorry.” She muttered. Despite his warning, she noticed Dimitri grimacing in the distance. It looked like he was about to jump in and save Mercedes from the abuse. But while Jeritza’s back was turned, she shook her head and mouthed ‘no’. That was enough to make his back off, although she still spotted him looking her way from time to time.

The rest of the lesson went on like this. By the end of it all, Mercedes felt like the idle stance was ingrained into her muscle memory, as well as several bruises and aches. But she wasn’t sure how she would fare the next time she trained with Jeritza. Not only did he expect them to perfect the stance by then, they were to start actual combat training too. He was at least kind enough to notify them that today’s class would seem like a cakewalk compared to future sessions. If they couldn’t handle his strict instructions now, then they’d best drop out before he got serious.

Despite everything, from his cold words to his callous methods, she still wanted to continue. She had to. This was Mercedes’s best chance to reconnect with her brother. She saw how his stern demeanor dethawed when he was in contact with her. She couldn’t not believe that he didn’t want anything to do with her. In order to prove herself, she caught up with Jeritza just before he left the training grounds. 

“Emile!” She called out.

He jerked his head towards her but didn’t respond. It was only when she reached his side that he reacted.

“I told you not to call me that.”

“I’m sorry, should I be calling you ‘sir’ instead?”

Jeritza scoffed. “Only when I’m instructing you.”

“So I can call you Emile? How wonderful!”

“Mercedes…”

“But seriously, Emile. Please don’t pretend that you don’t know me. We’ve finally been reunited after all these years. Aren’t you at least a little bit happy?”

Jeritza just stared her down in silence. Although Mercedes thought she could read his expressions well enough underneath that mask of his, at this moment he was inscrutable. He then turned away and kept on walking. She dogged after him, refusing to give up after only her first attempt at conversation.

“Emile! Won’t you answer me?”

“Not so loud.” He mumbled while furtively glancing around. Since it was later in the day, the training grounds weren’t as occupied as it could be. But he still didn’t want her shouting out his former name.

Once he was sure that no one was listening, he whirled around to look at Mercedes. His face remained unreadable, but only to an extent. She spotted the briefest flicker of sorrow on his features as he spoke. “Your brother is long dead. I am not the man you once loved. It would be safer if you forgot all about me. Good bye.”

“No! Wait!” Mercedes grabbed onto his arm before he had a chance to flee. He emitted a low growl and yanked himself away. That did not dissuade her from speaking the rest of her mind.

“I don’t believe Emile is dead. Why else would you look at me with such kindness, even for a fleeting moment? Why else would you push me away in the name of safety? I want to protect you too, from… whatever killed Emile, by your words.”

She almost blurted out that she knew of the Death Knight. The looming reaper of death that the Blue Lions faced on multiple occasions. When she first saw him, she was too frightened by his pitch-black armor and haunting skull helmet to think clearly. And during their next encounters, when she suspected his true identity, she grew even more terrified. Not because she was afraid of death by his hands, but because she feared the reason as to why her sweet, darling younger brother turned into a vicious murderer and devout follower of Edelgard. 

Luckily, Jeritza didn’t notice the catch in her voice. “It’s far too late for that. I told you, Emile is dead. But…”

“But?” His trailing off gave Mercedes hope. Her incessant hounding might finally lead to breakthrough.

“But if you wish to protect me, then quit your lance training. You’re not suited for this at all.”

Mercedes gasped indignantly. “It’s only the first day! I’m not that terrible, am I?”

“Yes you are.”

“Awww. But how else will I get to talk with my long lost brother?”

“I’m not-” Jeritza sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The training grounds is not a place for idle chatter.”

“So can I talk to you during our free time?”

“... I must reiterate. You court danger by being near me.”

“I don’t think your situation is as dire as you make it out to be. But thank you for the invitation.” Mercedes bowed slightly. “And I’ll work extra hard on my lance training so you don’t have to worry about that front. You’re a better teacher than you think. I feel safer already under your care!”

“Mercedes-”

“Goodness, it’s getting late. I need to hurry to my next class. I’m glad that we had this talk though. See you later!”

She sprinted off before Jeritza could protest against her proclamations. The joyous feeling from a successful interaction buoyed her steps and lifted her heart. If all encounters went as smoothly as this, then she could persuade him to her side in no time. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful sight to see? She couldn’t wait to tell Annie and the others about the encouraging events of today.

Jeritza, meanwhile, watched the beige figure of his sister shrink into a small dot with a clouded mind. What exactly just happened? How did she interpret his warnings into an invitation for further bonding? The one thing he knew for sure was that there was more to Mercedes than at first glance. She was a student he needed to keep an eye on for the foreseeable future.

* * *

For an old man, Tomas was a difficult person to track down.

The quiet and unassuming librarian mostly hung out in the vast library of Garreg Mach. But that wasn’t where the Blue Lions wanted to find him. When he was in the library, he was doing innocuous tasks like sorting books, aiding students, or striking up a conversation with a church member. Tasks that a normal librarian should be doing.

But Tomas wasn’t a normal librarian. He was once, many years ago. Then he retired, and then came out of retirement to serve Garreg Mach again. During his brief absence from the monastery, the Blue Lions assumed that the real Tomas was killed and replaced with a decrepit dark mage known as Solon. The vile man infiltrated the Church of Seiros in order to obtain blood from Flayn and to conduct horrendous experiments with it. And he may have more schemes up his sleeves that they were unaware of, so the Blue Lions couldn’t let him roam around freely. After all, he was the perpetrator behind the destruction of Remire Village, the one who banished Byleth to a realm of eternal darkness. He had to be slain before all these events came to pass. Long before that, even.

However, they couldn’t just kill him in broad daylight and make enemies with the church as well as Edelgard. Which is why they eagerly anticipated the times when Tomas left the library. If they could figure out the other places he frequented, especially the sparsely populated ones, then they could form a plan of attack. Plus, they may be able to stumble upon his secret base, forbidden knowledge, projects that must never come to light, other enemies that hid in plain view, anything that would aid them in their struggle against Edelgard.

Such times did not appear frequently for them. Mostly because the Blue Lions were occupied with their schoolwork and training and couldn’t watch Tomas during every waking hour of the day. They tried their best to have at least one person in the library whenever possible, creating excuses to their teachers to make it happen. But progress was still slow. It was as if Tomas only did anything interesting whenever they weren’t around to watch him. Were they really that unlucky or was there some other factor in play?

Regardless of the reason behind their misfortune, they finally managed to uncover something during a sunny Sunday afternoon. Ingrid was pretending to be engrossed in a tale of King Loog while Annette was actually studying the many magical theory tomes stacked around her. With the intense look of concentration on their faces, they looked like they were deep in their own world and couldn’t possibly be spying on Tomas. But when they spotted an errand boy running up to Solon and whispering something into his ears, the two girls casually leaned backwards to eavesdrop on them. They couldn’t hear what the boy said to Tomas, but whatever he said caused the librarian to run out the door in a hurry. Ingrid immediately stood up after he departed and would have chased after him if it wasn’t for Annette.

“Wait! I gotta clean up my stuff first!” She gestured to the mess of books on the table.

“Seriously?! By the time we finish, he’ll have gotten away!”

“But I can’t just leave it either! You can go on without me, I’ll catch up later.”

Ingrid sighed. It was considerate of Annette to tidy up after herself, but she needed to straighten out her priorities. “Fine. But hurry up!”

She sprinted after Tomas, hoping that she hadn’t tarried too long. She managed to catch a glimpse of his robes before it turned a corner and proceeded down a stairwell. For an old man, he was surprisingly fast as well. Although Ingrid could catch up to him easily if she wanted to. But she held back in order to trail him without being noticed. Ingrid kept a healthy distance between herself and Tomas as they headed down the stairs, passed through the gathering hall and several other buildings, and trekked along the cobblestone paths that lead to the marketplace. 

The bustling gathering of merchants near the monastery gates didn’t seem like a plausible destination for an old librarian. Yet here he was, weaving through the crowd like a man on a mission. Ingrid dogged after him, closing the gap between them so as not to lose him among the mass of people. Solon passed by numerous stalls and then ducked into an alleyway that was easily glanced over. Ingrid hesitated for a moment, wondering how Annette will find her if she continued onwards. But she didn’t have anymore time to waste. The tan robes of Tomas wandered further and further into the alley, threatening to disappear if she didn’t move now. Ingrid hurriedly marked the corner she was at with some lipstick and darted in. A few minutes of meandering later, Tomas finally stopped at an inconspicuous door. Ingrid hid herself behind a giant, empty barrel to watch whatever transaction was going to take place. 

He rapped his knuckles on the wooden door in a peculiar pattern. Ingrid did her best to memorize what she assumed was a secret password. The door barely creaked open an inch, only allowing the voice of a mysterious man to emanate.

“Solon.”

“Myson!” Solon’s voice was surprisingly harsh. He sounded nothing like the Tomas persona he painstakingly crafted. “What have I said about summoning me in the middle of the day?”

Ingrid’s ears perked up at the other name. For some reason, it sounded familiar...

“Apologies, sir. But the package just arrived and it cannot wait. It needs to be inspected and taken to your laboratory immediately.”

“So soon? Pittacus is a quick one. Let us head inside.”

Solon stepped through the doorway, which closed shut as soon as he was inside. Ingrid cursed under her breath. She wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop on them from here, and there were no windows to peer through. Would she have to wait until they come out again? There was no telling when they might reemerge. It could take a few minutes, a few hours, or the rest of the day. The only other option would be to sneak in somehow. But gallivanting into an unfamiliar building with an unknown number of enemies inside was tantamount to suicide…

While Ingrid was deep in thought, soft footsteps alerted her to a new presence. She pulled out a dagger from under her uniform and whirled around, bringing the blade to the neck of her would-be assailant.

“Hey! Relax! It’s me! Annette!” The said girl yelped at the dagger pointed at her.

“Oh. Sorry.” Ingrid withdrew her weapon. “But you shouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry. I’m just glad I found you. Was that lipstick the one that Mercie gave you?”

“Yeah. You recognized it?”

“Of course! She gave me the same kind of lipstick.” Annette whispered a little too enthusiastically. “But why would you carry it around-”

“Enough of that.” Ingrid shushed her. This wasn’t the right time to talk about makeup. She gestured towards the door that Solon had entered. “I followed Solon here. He was talking to someone named Myson, who was delivering a package from Pittacus. Solon needed to inspect it, so he went inside. That’s all I got, and all I can get from our current hiding spot.”

“Ok. So let’s get closer to listen in.”

“How? There’s no windows or cracks in the wall.”

“Lucky for you, I picked up a spell that’ll let us hear people talking through walls! But we need to get up really close to it. And we’ll need to be really still.”

“Hm.” Ingrid glanced around the area. The requirements of the spell would render them sitting ducks if Solon or anyone else were to suddenly leave the building. They would need some sort of cover while spying. Her emerald eyes ultimately focused upon the large barrel that they were currently kneeling behind.

“Can your spell work through wood as well as stone?”

“Yeah. Why?”

Ingrid answered her with a tap on the barrel. Annette raised an eyebrow, but did not object. The two of them pushed the barrel closer, until it leaned against the building, and Ingrid motioned for Annette to jump inside.

“You first.”

“Why me?” 

“You’re smaller and the one that’s casting the spell, so hurry up and get in the barrel!”

“Fine. Ugh, I hope this wasn’t holding anything gross.” Annette slipped inside with some help from Ingrid. She then clambered inside herself and closed the lid. The barrel was barely big enough to hold two girls, and Ingrid wondered if Annette had enough room to do her thing. The mage’s hands glowed with a golden light as she scribbled sigils into the runic circle that appeared on the barrel’s wall. A few seconds later, the spellwork grew brighter and two distinct voices could be heard, as if the conversers were right next to them.

“... Does Pittacus require anything else at the moment?”

“No. The foolish Alliance noble is quite enthralled with her. He is willing and able to go to great lengths to procure whatever she desires.”

“Good good. It is only a shame that there is a considerable distance between her laboratory and mine. If it were up to me, I would have consolidated everything under one roof. My roof.”

“But the Flame Emperor cautioned against that, saying that we are already taking an unnecessary risk in pooling so many resources in the lair of our enemy.”

“The Flame Emperor spouts nonsense! That beast is too soft, disgusted with the wondrous work taking place under our very feet. But the Flame Emperor will think differently once my project is completed and the war is won!”

“I also look forward to the project’s completion.”

“As you should.”

Feet shuffled on the stone cold floor. It sounded like they were finishing up. Ingrid gleaned a lot from their conversation, but she wished that she heard the earlier part of it. She still had so many unanswered questions. Like who was Pittacus, Myson, and the Alliance noble they were working with? What kind of project was Solon and Pittacus working on? And it sounded like Solon had a laboratory underneath the monastery. She immediately thought back to the underground tunnels they found the kidnapped Flayn in, the labyrinth only navigable by strange warp tiles. She didn’t recall seeing any lab down there, but it seemed like that maze stretched on for miles and miles. It wouldn’t shock her if there was a hidden warp tile that would bring them to Solon’s secret base.

“Before we part, there is actually one item that Pittacus requested. However, it is not an easy one to obtain, and it is not vital to her project at this moment.”

“But she will require it in the future, yes? Spit it out!”

Ingrid heard the sound of unscrolling parchment. There was a pause as Solon presumably read what was on the paper. 

“Oooh.” Solon’s croon made her skin crawl. “She dreams big, that one.”

“But it isn’t impossible for you, is it?”

“Of course not. This site is crawling with beasts of all sorts, including the ones she specified. I could reach out my hand and grab one without even trying.”

“Remember, she wants them alive.”

“I know. She will get what she asked for by the end of the next moon.”

Something about how he said that quickened Ingrid’s heartbeat. There was no way that they were talking about mere animals. Her mind flashed back to the crazed, bloodstained faces of the villagers of Remire and the Demonic Beasts of the chapel whose howled with anguish. Just recalling those horrific events, and now listening in to the schemes that caused them, almost made her explode with fury. She so desperately wanted to burst out of this barrel and stab Solon and his accomplice before any innocents could be harmed. 

But a gentle touch from Annette stilled her heart. Her big, pleading eyes was illuminated by the spell she casted.

“I know how you feel.” She whispered. “But if we kill them now, then that other person, Pittacus? She will get away.”

Ingrid let out an exasperated sigh as she settled down. Annette was right, but she didn’t have to like it.

With their business concluded, the door opened up and Solon stepped out into the bright sunlight. Annette quickly quenched her spell, leaving the two girls in the dark. They could hear him walk away, but they weren’t able to tail after him that instant because they were still stuck in this barrel. Annette lifted the lid slightly to peek at his shrinking figure.

“He’s carrying something. A small something. Looks like a wrapped package you’d get from a butcher.” She announced.

“Ergh. Don’t make me regret my decision.” Ingrid suppress a gag. “And there’s no one else around?”

“Nope. The coast is clear.”

Ingrid gave Annette a boost with her hands so she could climb out of the barrel easily. Once the two of them had escaped, they quickly dashed out of the alleyway in hopes of catching up to him. The pair barely made it back before they spotted Tomas further away, climbing a set of stairs that led to the stables and the rest of the monastery. Ingrid poured more speed into their stride, eventually outpacing Annette, and managed to keep him in her sights until he reached the gates that led to the faculty quarters. From her vantage point around a corner, she watched him close the iron barred doors behind and scurry into a dormitory room that she presumed to be his.

“Ingrid!” Annette yelled from behind her. She was out of breath by the time she reached her, and had to pause to rest. 

“Where did he go?” She asked once she got better.

“He went into his room. Or his secret laboratory.” Ingrid shrugged. “It has to be nearby, right? If his package is supposed to go there right after he received it.”

“Yeah. His lab is probably part of those weird tunnels we found Flayn in. Sooooo are we going to follow him or not?”

“Annette, it’s one thing to trail after a suspect in a public space with lots of room. It’s another thing entirely to barge into someone’s bedroom with no plausible reason. Students aren’t normally permitted inside the faculty quarters anyway.”

“That’s a no then? Bummer.” Annette sighed. “We were really close to figuring out what he was up to, too.”

“Well, we still got a lot of other information today.” Ingrid said cheerily. “We know a little bit about Solon’s plans, his allies, and where his laboratory is. Those details will be essential when planning out our next move.”

“Yeah. Whatever we decide to do, we better do it quick. He said he was going to capture someone before the end of the next moon?”

“Right.” Ingrid shuddered as she remembered how the villain talked about ‘beasts’. There was no way she was going to let him get away with whatever evil scheme he was concocting. 

But she couldn’t just charge in without her own plan either. She turned her gaze back to Annette with newfound determination blazing in her eyes. “First, we have to tell the others know what we found out. An assault on his base wouldn’t work out with two people.”

“Of course!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a doozy because we'll finally be tackling the Lord Lonato issue. I did finish typing it but editing may take a while. Plus I may be busy with other things. So apologies in advance if the next chapter comes out a bit late!


	11. Death of a father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe, Dimitri, and Dedue head to Castle Gaspard to talk to Lord Lonato.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, at the first pivotal moment in their mission! I can only hope that I did it justice.
> 
> This chapter draws a lot of references from a birthday fic I wrote for Ashe, 17th of Wyvern Moon. You can find it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21076475 But you don't need to read it to understand this chapter.
> 
> Many thanks to my sister for a patient beta reader! There were a lot of edits to be made and I kept waffling about the direction I wanted to take.
> 
> Also thanks to everyone for your continued support! This fic has reached 5k hits which honestly amazes me. You guys are awesome!

To Ashe, there was nothing worse than going through the death of a father twice.

The first time, his birth father had succumbed to illness. Then his mother died shortly afterwards. Ashe thought he and his siblings were lucky to withstand the plague that swept through their village. But the adversities they suffered through afterwards proved that survival wasn’t always a blessing. He had to give up every shred of dignity to beg for a job, subsistence, safety, anything that would ensure that they would live to see the next day. He passed his meager earnings onto his younger siblings and told himself that a full heart would compensate for an empty stomach. And when that wasn’t enough, he resorted to thievery. 

It was through thievery that he met his second father, Lord Lonato. The minor noble caught Ashe stealing a valuable book from his library. However, instead of arresting him, he adopted him and his siblings into the household. This act of kindness also introduced Ashe to his second brother, Christophe. For a few short but happy years, he thought that his fortune had turned around. He no longer had to worry about food or a roof over their heads. He could afford luxuries such as reading, writing, and dreams of knighthood. Such joyous memories shone brightly, banishing past tragedies and suffering to the darkest recesses of his mind.

Which made his wounds that much deeper when his father died a second time. When Christophe was executed for his supposed role in the Tragedy of Duscur, Lord Lonato grieved and grieved and swore revenge on the church at any cost. Ashe supposed that he died at that moment, rather than at the ambush of Magdred Way years later. During that fight, he faced off against his adoptive father, hoping to bring him to his senses and to stop the rebellion peacefully. But there was no reasoning with a husk that acted only for vengeance. Ashe’s arrow flew straighter than his words, and its tip struck where his pleas could not his reach, through Lord Lonato’s heart.

He didn’t know what he would do if his father died a third time. Ashe hadn’t even entertained the possibility, since he tried not to form paternal attachments to any other older men in his life after Lord Lonato was killed. The closest he came to a father figure was Gilbert, who coached him on the ways of knighthood during the war. So when he travelled back to the past, to a time when Lord Lonato was alive…

Ashe was ecstatic for a chance to redeem him. Such an opportunity was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle that he would not squander. But he was also incredibly nervous. As he, Dimitri, and Dedue rode through Magdred Way, his stomach churned from his anxiety and his horse’s gait and his knuckles whitened from holding the reins too tightly. It was too bad that his apprehension prevented him from enjoying the scenery around him. The skies were a brilliant blue color, the strong sunshine warmed their backs, and the road was devoid of any fog that would conceal attackers. They even passed by a large, roaring waterfall graced by a rainbow generated from the mist it spewed. Two of the three men stopped to admire the view. Dimitri then noticed that Ashe still had a frown on his face, which in turn diminished the smile on his own.

“Ashe? Is something the matter?” He inquired as they moved on.

“Nothing’s wrong, your Highness.” Ashe lied through his teeth. Although he slowly thought the prince as more of a friend when they fought together in the war, he still didn’t want to burden him with his own troubles. What would Dimitri do if he knew that Ashe was having doubts? Would he tell him to stow his fears? Comfort him as best he could? Or, worst of all, call off the operation to let Ashe recollect himself, and therefore waste the best timeframe they had? 

“Are you certain?” Dimitri retorted as gently as possible. “It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous at times like these. If you wish to talk about it, I’m always ready to listen.”

“Thank you, your Highness.” He really was a kind person. It used to be that Ashe couldn’t even look straight into Dimitri’s eyes, out of fear of offending the crown prince of Faerghus. Now, the two of them rode side by side as if they were lifelong buddies. He wasn’t even sure why Dimitri and Dedue joined him anyway, especially when they were busy with their own duties. The former said that he had some choice words for Lord Lonato, whatever that meant, and the latter tagged along to guard his Highness like always.

If he thought of Dimitri like that, there was no way Ashe could hold his tongue on the matter. “The truth is, I’ve been thinking about what we would do if we can’t persuade Lord Lonato to stand down.”

That wasn’t completely accurate. He was really worrying himself sick over possible failure, instead of brainstorming contingency plans like his words implied. Thankfully, Dimitri took what Ashe said at face value and replied encouragingly like usual.

“I have also thought the same. Although we should always strive towards the best possible outcome, it never hurts to prepare for the worst case scenario.”

“So what have you come up with?”

“My first idea was to talk to the local militia and convince them that their lord’s plan is a fool’s errand.”

“I don’t think that will work. They are all incredibly loyal to Lord Lonato.” Ashe shook his head. These soldiers didn’t heed their lord out of chivalry alone, although that was certainly a big factor. They followed him because Lord Lonato treated them fairly and kindly, like real human beings. In turn, they were driven to obey his every command, even if it spelled their death. That sort of loyalty was more dangerous than the loyalty found among troops bound to an apathetic lord.

“That’s unfortunate.” Dimitri sighed. “Another plan I thought of was to get rid of the Western Church’s influence on him. Maybe by disposing of those that corrupted his beliefs? It may be a difficult task, but without his spiritual core, he may lose his will to fight.”

Ashe was quick to disagree with that idea too. “Lord Lonato will still fight to avenge Christophe, with or without the Western Church.”

“Hm.” It was apparent that Dimitri was running out of ideas. The only one he had left was one that he didn’t want to vocalize. But after a few minutes of stewing in the awkward air, he glanced up at Ashe again.

“Ashe. I don’t wish to suggest that our meeting will turn out this way… But are you prepared for the possibility that Lord Lonato may not relent?”

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to give him the answer Dimitri wanted to hear. But his heart stopped the reply in his throat, solidifying it into a wad of feelings he had to swallow. Ashe nearly fell apart when he was forced to kill his adoptive father last time. He was only kept aloft by the overwhelming love from his friends, classmates, and teachers. That gaping wound was stitched up well enough with time, only reopening whenever events brought back memories of Castle Gaspard in full force. His miraculous trip to the past should have been able to heal it completely. But if it didn’t, if he couldn’t save Lord Lonato, then it would only serve as a dagger that would deepen his wound and render it unsalvageable.

Dimitri paused again. Ashe wondered if he took his silence as a no. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long to find out what the prince was thinking about.

“I am not asking you to end him a second time.” He said before Ashe could reply. “I can carry out that task for you if it comes to that.”

“Your Highness!” Ashe squeaked out. “I can’t possibly ask you to do such a thing for me.”

“I’m serious. We’re dealing with a man that was our enemy last time we faced him. If he threatens you again, then I’m prioritizing you over him. I will defeat him myself if it would keep you safe.” 

A small frown formed on Dimitri’s face. “All I’m asking is that you do not throw caution to the wind. This man is your father, yes, but he is also a man consumed by his desire for vengeance. Such a person may not be reasoned with, even when you approach him with the best of intentions. Believe me, I should know.”

“I believe you, your Highness. I promise to not be careless.” Ashe nodded. He really was taking his warning into consideration, but he also couldn’t help but think that Dimitri’s remarks were pointing towards Ashe’s lack of weapons. He opted not to bring anything besides an ordinary bow to fend off potential bandits or monsters, normal supplies for their travels, and a small, dusty wooden box that currently resided in his knapsack. Dimitri and Dedue were better equipped, each of them carrying a main weapon that was brandished openly and a hidden one that was underneath their clothes, just in case. Ashe felt bad for relying on them to make up for his hesitation, and now he felt even worse that his friend had sensed it.

“Thank you, Ashe.” Dimitri sounded like he regained some of his optimism. “I didn’t mean to sound so morbid when you’re already nervous about the mission. For what it’s worth, I do genuinely believe that you can turn him around. You’re his son, and this is a friendly visit. We’re not bitter enemies facing off on the battlefield yet.”

“You’re right. We can do this.” Ashe nodded. 

The prince’s reassurance didn’t completely dispel all of his doubts, but it did give him enough strength to keep up a confident facade. For the rest of the journey, they talked about other topics such as school, their friends, and what Ashe was going to say to Lonato exactly. He had a few ideas in mind that Dimitri and Dedue helped to solidify. They couldn’t iron out every little detail, since they don’t know how their meeting will go, but he felt like they established a pretty good baseline.

They finally reached their destination of Castle Gaspard in the late afternoon. The estate’s towering gates were intimidating enough to ward off assaults by appearance alone. But to Ashe, its stony features and the long shadows they casted were signs of home. He trotted with a brisk pace towards a pair of guards stationed at the entrance.

“I’m here to see my stepfather, Lord Lonato.” He announced. His nerves haven’t betrayed him yet. Good.

“Ashe? We weren’t expecting you.” One of the guards peered at him. “Not that you’re unwelcome here. It’s just that we hadn’t prepared anything for your arrival.”

“Is that… the crown prince with you?!” The other guard gawked at Dimitri with his mouth hanging open.

“Please don’t go out of your way to accommodate me.” Dimitri shook his head. “I am merely here as a friend of Ashe.”

“Will you let Lord Lonato know that I am here?” Ashe spoke up.

“O-of course!” The flabbergasted guard ran off to notify his liege while his partner opened the gates for them. The three of them rode through and reached the manor without any further trouble. Ashe was relieved that everything was going well so far, but Dedue appeared perturbed for some reason. He thought that maybe he was disquieted by the many wary stares thrown his way, but as it turned out, he was more concerned about the earlier interactions with the guards.

“Ashe.” Dedue disturbed the silence between them. “Did you not send a letter forewarning your arrival?”

“I did. I sent it a while ago, so it should have reached Lord Lonato long before today.”

“And yet, it seems like no one expected our arrival…” Dimitri trailed off, unable to say what was on his mind. 

Dedue finished his thought for him. “Yes. There is no good reason for Lord Lonato to withhold such important information from his staff. We need to keep our guard up.”

“M-maybe he just got busy and forgot to notify everyone.” Ashe stammered. He knew he was just making up excuses, but he couldn’t let himself think about any other possible explanations. His mind would start coming up with the worst possible cases, start seeing threats where there were none. He couldn’t succumb to paranoia right before the fated meeting.

The trio left their horses at the stables, along with their larger weapons. They wouldn’t have much in the way of protection if Lord Lonato decided to attack them. But they also couldn’t bring their lances, axes, and arrows to a supposedly peaceful meeting. They had to hope that their words would be enough to deter any hostile intentions. 

As they entered the castle’s foyer, Ashe’s apprehension was so palpable that he was sure the others could feel it. His palms were sweaty, his heart was pounding, and his cheeks were flushed red. And he hasn’t even seen Lord Lonato yet! He took deep breaths and looked to Dimitri and Dedue for guidance. Their faces were completely serene, with no hints of similar worries on them. He tried his best to emulate their looks, but his efforts were interrupted by yells echoing down the hallway.

“ASHE!”

“Hey! Whoa!” Two children barreled into Ashe, almost knocking him to the floor. One of them, a young boy with light silver hair, squeezed his torso while the other one, an even younger girl with black hair, wrapped herself around one of his arms. 

“Easy there! My legs already feel like mush from riding all day! No need to squish the rest of me!” He protested as he slowly peeled them off of him. It was so strange to see the younger faces of his brother and sister. The last time he saw them was right before he left for the class reunion at Garreg Mach. They were teenagers back then, around the age he was right now, and were hardened by the losses and hardships that occurred over the course of five years. But today, they still had their youthful energy and childlike innocence.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?” 

“Ashe! Ashe! Are you here to play?” 

“Uhhh.” Ashe was rendered speechless by their boundless exuberance. To him, it had been many long months since they last met. But to them, he had only been gone for several weeks He so desperately wanted to answer yes and make up for lost time. But he couldn’t. He was on an important mission and he couldn’t involve them in it if their meeting with Lord Lonato turned dangerous.

Dimitri clearly did not think the same. “Ashe, aren’t you going to introduce them to us?”

“Oh! Sorry! Your Highness, this is Oliver and Elma. My brother and sister. Guys, this is Dimitri, the crown prince of the Kingdom, and Dedue, one of my friends.”

“You’re a prince?!” Elma’s bright green eyes widened.

“He’s  _ the _ prince, dummy.” Oliver elbowed into his sister’s side.

“It’s my pleasure to finally meet the ones that Ashe has talked so much about.” Dimitri gave them a shallow bow and Dedue did likewise. 

“You’ve heard of us?!”

“Ashe! How do you know the prince?”

“Yes. How are you so well acquainted with His Highness?”

The third, new voice attracted everyone’s attention. Approaching them was an older man with tanned skin, white hair, and a mustache. He was garbed in simple but elegant robes, an outfit that fitted a noble and contrasted sharply with the armor he wore last time. Although he walked upright and with a calm demeanor, Ashe immediately noticed his clenched teeth, pursed lips, and the bags under his eyes. 

Did Lord Lonato always looked this stressed? He wasn’t able to remember an accurate picture of him, only being able to recall the joyous memories of him as his father and the heart-rending moments of him as his enemy. Ashe was so focused on evaluating Lord Lonato that he almost forgot to answer his question. Only a stern look from Dimitri reminded him to do so.

“Oh. Uh. We’re both in the Blue Lions house.” Ashe mumbled. That was hardly an adequate response, judging from Lord Lonato’s narrowed eyes.

“Well, you two must have gotten very close in the few weeks that you were gone.”

“Yeah. I guess.” Thankfully, Lord Lonato didn’t dwell on that subject any longer. He turned to Dimitri and bowed deeply.

“I am Lonato Gildas Gaspard, lord of the Gaspard region and Ashe’s adoptive father. It is an honor to have you an esteemed guest.”

“The honor is all mine.” Dimitri nodded back.

“W-well, seeing as you know of his Highness, let me introduce you to his retainer, Dedue Molinaro.” Ashe nodded towards him. “He is also another friend from school.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Dedue bowed just as deeply as Lord Lonato did mere seconds ago.

“Likewise.” But his response wasn’t as gratuitous. In fact, he seemed to be displeased about Dedue’s presence. Ashe knew that Lord Lonato didn’t hold any ill will towards the people of Duscur, so there must be another reason for his terse manner. Perhaps he was already intimidated by the prince of Faerghus, and that feeling only worsened with his bodyguard’s introduction?

Whatever the case may be, Lord Lonato didn’t waste anymore time in getting to the point of this visit. “Ashe, what sort of matter are you here for?”

“I, uh, cannot say here. Could we talk somewhere privately?”

“Of course.” Lord Lonato beckoned the three of them to follow him. Just as they started walking, Ashe felt a tug on his sleeves. He turned around and was subjected to the pleading stares of his younger siblings.

“Ashe! It’s been so long! Won’t you play with us first?” Elma pout cutely.

“I’m sorry. But this is really important.” Ashe’s heart ached to reject her plea but he couldn’t get distracted now.

“Come on! What kind of business do you have with dad anyway? You’re not an adult yet, so it can’t be boring grown-up stuff!”

“Oliver!”

He heard a chuckle from Lord Lonato behind him. “If you wish to catch up with your brother and sister, I won’t begrudge you. We can have our talk another time.”

“No, we need to talk now.” Ashe’s voice suddenly grew hard. His steely tone wiped the already tiny smile off of Lord Lonato’s face. “Hmm… Dedue? Could you take care of Elma and Oliver?”

“That sounds like a good idea. Would you do us this favor?” Dimitri piped up before Dedue could protest against Ashe.

“Your Highness. I can’t possibly leave your side.”

“Please, Dedue?” Now it was Ashe’s turn to beg. “It won’t take long, and you won’t be that far from us. And I  _ really _ need you to take care of my siblings.”

In case something happened to him, Ashe wanted to add. Dedue stared at him incredulously, then at the two children beside him, and then back at him. From how long he paused, Ashe hoped that he picked up the connotation in his last sentence. Finally, he nodded, and Ashe flashed a smile in return.

“Thank you so much! Oliver, Elma, go play with Dedue now. I’ll come find you once we’re done.”

“You better!” The younger boy stuck out his tongue before scampering off.

The remaining people wound up in a study room lined with plenty of bookshelves and a large window. Sunlight streamed through the glass and the laughter of children was heard from the gardens below. If he didn’t come in here with such a controversial topic in mind, the peaceful surroundings would have immediately put him at ease.

Instead, his heart thumped faster as they seated themselves around a small table. “So what did you want to talk to me about?” Lord Lonato asked. “It must be dire in order to not mention it in your letter, to bring along some important friends, and to avoid your siblings.”

Ashe had no idea how to answer that. All potential replies disappeared from his head once he glanced up at Lord Lonato. Like before, he sensed discontentment underneath that thin veneer of tranquility. This man was one wrong word away from snapping. And what would he do when he got angry? What would Ashe do?

He had to start slowly. He took a deep breath and began weaving the lies he planned out. “Well, recently I had a vision from the goddess.”

Lord Lonato rolled his eyes. “Three weeks at Garreg Mach and you’ve already become a religious man.”

“No. I think the events I saw were really real. I watched you die, Lonato.”

“That sounds more like a nightmare to me.”

“It isn’t! The vision was way too detailed to be anything but a warning of the future. Like, you receive a letter from the Western Church about potentially rebelling against the Church of Seiros on the 15th of Harpstring Moon. Am I wrong?”

“...No.”

That shut up any further objections from the older man. However, Ashe felt Dimitri flinch next to him. He continued on anyway. “Then, you actually go through with your plans of rebellion. The Knights of Seiros were sent in to suppress your uprising. And… You were crushed. Utterly annihilated. You, and the entire militia.”

Tears began budding in his eyes. Ordinarily he would have tried to blink them back. But this time he let them flow freely to enunciate his words. “So many people died, including you. Why, Lonato?! Tell me that you aren’t actually planning such a futile mission!”

Lord Lonato leaned back in his chair. For the first time since they met today, he let his weariness show through the careful guise he built. “I am. I’m sorry, Ashe.”

“Don’t say sorry! Why would you do such a thing?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.” Ashe wiped away his tears. “It’s about Christophe, isn’t it? My brother.”

“Yes, but that’s not all.” There was a bit of venom seeping into Lonato’s voice as he spoke. “That vile woman who took him away from us, Archbishop Rhea, is a stain upon this world. She has deceived her followers with a false history that paints herself above the rest and strikes down those that would dare cut through her web of deception. Christophe was one such person. Then the church had the audacity to claim that he was executed for the Tragedy of Duscur instead.”

“I know that.”

“You do?” Lord Lonato raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. His real crime was for plotting assasination against the Archbishop.”

“How? How do you know that?”

“Um, it was part of the goddess’s vision.” That weak lie didn’t convince Lord Lonato at all. Ashe could feel his eyes scrutinizing every inch of his face. He tried his best to appear strong, which was hard to do when he had been crying moments before.

“Hm. Well, if you know that, then you know why Rhea must die. She must be defeated at any cost if Fódlan and Christophe is to know peace.”

“Any cost? Really? The village lost parents, children, and siblings! Oliver and Elma are going to grow up without a father again! And I-”

He almost blurted out that he lost a bit of himself that day, when he had to aim his bow at Lord Lonato’s heart. What would he think, if his father knew that his son had to kill him in order to survive his outrage? Would such a statement harden his heart further? He couldn’t risk such a thing right now.

“Ashe.” Lord Lonato spoke in a stern tone, like how a parent might relay a hard truth to their child. “This may be difficult for you to hear, but sometimes, blood needs to be spilled in order to change things for the better.”

“I know! I’m not naive! But it doesn’t have to be spilled now! You don’t have to rebel and send everyone to their deaths!”

“But I must, for Christophe’s sake. He won’t rest until those that murdered him are slain.”

Ashe shook his head as hard as he could. “Father, I loved Christophe too. But this isn’t the right way to honor his memory. Killing others won’t make up for his death.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because I know.”

Dimitri’s interruption drew Lord Lonato’s ire towards him. He continued speaking, despite the man’s harsh glare. “I know what it’s like to be tormented by the ghosts of the dead, and to have their desire for vengeance boil within me.”

“Your Highness...” The older man muttered.

“But I also know that murdering people will not satiate them. In truth, the dead have no power over the living, save for what you give them. And if you choose to yield to their demands, then you will be on a dark path that leads to nothing but misery and destruction.”

“So are you suggesting that I ignore every transgression that Rhea has committed?” Lonato’s voice was growing dangerously louder. “Every lie she told? Every life she took to further her selfish goals?”

“I am not saying that at all! I’m asking you to consider if this rebellion is what you truly desire. Ashe told me you were a kind man, an honorable knight. Surely you do not wish for so many lives to be lost.”

“How dare you presume what I want!” Lord Lonato’s composure was completely worn away at this point, leaving behind nothing but fury. “You may be my prince, but in this castle, you are naught but a stranger!”

“Father, please! He’s only trying to help!” Ashe tried to calm him down but to no avail.

“And you!” Lonato’s unbridled rage was not something he could brace himself for. It was like trying to withstand a raging storm. His words pelted his skin like hail and his anger electrified the air like thunder. “Tell me, did the church really think that they could force me to submit by sending you and some of your ‘friends from school’? And then conceal their ploy with a half-baked lie?”

“No! The church didn’t send us at all! They don’t even know about your rebellion yet!”

“Then how do you know what you cannot possibly know?!”

“I… I can’t say. I’m sorry.” Ashe knew that his lame excuse would only incur more wrath. Especially since it outed him as a liar. But in the face of Lonato’s anger, it was the only answer he could come up with.

Thankfully, Dimitri remained undaunted by the man’s temper and backed him up. “I swear upon my father’s lance that we are not here on behalf of the Church of Seiros. We just want to see a future where you survive.”

Lord Lonato fell into a contemplative silence as he leaned back into his chair. Ashe was hopeful for a moment that his anger had died down enough to allow him to think clearly. But after a few brief seconds, he dashed his dreams with his next statements.

“Your Highness, you thought that I wanted to avoid needless deaths. That was what I wanted, long ago. But when my son died, I learned that such a dream isn’t achievable while evil forces like Rhea exist. Now, I only want what Christophe wanted, what he ended up giving up his life for. I want a world free from the shackles of monsters who dwell in the shadows. A world where Ashe, Oliver, and Elma can thrive without fear.”

Somehow, Lonato’s calm but confident words were even more frightening to Ashe. He spoke with the same poise that Dimitri had, when the latter had declared his intention to live in what he believed in. Only this time, he was still spiralling towards his death. And he was so very, very wrong about the world his rebellion would build.

“Ashe, the rebellion doesn’t have to spell my death.” Lord Lonato turned towards him. “If you so firmly believe in this future, then tell me about it. If I know what the upcoming battle holds, then I can defeat the Knights of Seiros and survive.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It isn’t just the Knights of Seiros that you will have to fight.” He had to tell him, consequences be damned. “The Blue Lions will be there to assist them.” 

Lord Lonato widened his eyes in shock. Seeing such a reaction out of him spurred Ashe onwards. “I tried talking to you on the battlefield. But you were so blinded by hatred and fury that you brushed aside my words. In order to save myself, I had to put an arrow through your chest.”

He waited with bated breath for Lonato’s response. He was expecting disbelief, anger, regret, anything but the unnerving silence that sucked the courage right out of him. 

“That is… most regrettable.” Lonato said while closing his eyes. “I still don’t know how you know of the future, but what you say doesn’t have to come to pass.”

“Does that mean…?” Ashe felt his heart fluttering with anticipation.

“You can side with me, Ashe. You and Your Highness. With your knowledge of the battle to come, we can weather this together.”

That was not what he wanted to hear. Ashe stared incredulously at his stepfather for a long minute, then shook his head. He could see Lonato’s expectant expression fade away as he did so. 

“I’m sorry, but I cannot. I have friends that I can’t raise my blade against.” He whispered. It broke his heart, having to choose between his father and his allies.

“As do I.” Dimitri announced in support of him. “Fighting against the Church now will not change things for the better. It will only result in countless lives lost. But you can still decide against this course of action. You haven’t actually committed to the rebellion yet, have you?”

“No, but-”

“Please, father.” Ashe pleaded. “This isn’t what Christophe would want. He wouldn’t want his family killing each other like this.” 

More silence. Ashe hated having to invoke Christophe so many times, but it seemed like the only way to reach his father. Lord Lonato clung to the specter of his dead brother so much, it was starting to frustrate him more than it upset him.

Lord Lonato finally found his reply. He spoke in a cold, steely voice that was devoid of any warmth. “I’m sorry, your Highness. Ashe. I cannot turn against Christophe, just like you cannot turn against your friends. If you and I are so steadfast in our beliefs that we will clash on the battlefield, then that’s how it must be.”

“Is that all you have to say?!” Ashe blurted out. Anger rose up within his chest, burning away the grief that once dwelled there. “Don’t you feel remorse at having to fight against your own son?!”

“I do, but-”

“Then prove it!” In his rage, he reached into his bag and pulled out the box he brought from the monastery. He slammed it on the table with enough force to rattle the trinkets on nearby bookshelves.

“Do you know what this is?”

Lord Lonato examined the box with a hard stare that became more melancholic once he realized what it was. “Yes. I gave this to you for your sixteenth birthday.”

“That’s right. It’s proof that I’m your son, just as much as Christophe was. You told me to cut my own path with this, and I did, six years ago, when I killed you.”

“Ashe, what are you-”

“Now I might have to do it all over again!” Ashe ignored Dimitri’s alarmed expression and kept on berating Lord Lonato. “If you can’t change your mind, if you’re so focused on your dead son that you’ll forsake your living son, then you might as well save us the trouble and kill me right now! Because I can’t bear losing a father for a third time!”

He lifted up the wooden lid to reveal an ornate, silver dagger adorned with Gaspard’s coat of arms. Ashe then slid the box over to Lord Lonato, inviting him to pick it up. Dimitri immediately reached for his own dagger hidden underneath his cloak, but Ashe held up a hand to stop him. He didn’t want a friend to undermine him during this crucial moment, even if he had good intentions.

Lord Lonato grasped the dagger’s handle. Ashe felt Dimitri tense up beside him. The nobleman turned the blade over in his hand, studying every fine detail. Ashe had never used it, as it was mostly a symbolic gift rather than a practical one. But it was still sharp enough to kill him instantly if it pierced his heart.

Lonato then glanced up at Ashe. His wrathful eyes glowered at him, like he hated him for presenting this crucial decision now. A bolt of panic jolted through Ashe. In his emotional high, he might have underestimated Lord Lonato’s stubbornness. The old man might actually go through with Ashe’s request and drive that dagger deep into his chest. But he did not want to take back what he said. He meant every word, including the part where he couldn’t kill Lord Lonato again. There was no use lying to himself any longer. He just wished he didn’t have to break his promise to Dimitri.

“You are not my son.” Lord Lonato growled. That remark was like a death sentence for Ashe’s hopes. Dimitri again moved to incapacitate him, but stopped himself when Lonato thrusted the dagger into the desk and buried its tip into the wooden surface.

“You weren’t so defiant, so angry, when I saw you off to Garreg Mach.” He shook his head. His already quiet voice diminished into whispers as he mumbled his regrets out loud. “You talk like a man who endured tragedies upon tragedies. What has happened, to shape you this way? What have I done to you?”

Lord Lonato buried his face in his hands. For a brief moment, before they were covered up, Ashe saw a glimmer of sorrow in his eyes. They did not readily shed any tears, but perhaps that was because he was tired. His smouldering anger, his desire for vengeance, any emotion that once fueled his ambitions vanished into thin air. All that was left was an empty man that grieved for his son a second time.

“Father…” Ashe too felt his rage dissipating from his body like a breath he was holding for a long time. His limbs suddenly felt very heavy and he struggled to keep himself upright.

Lord Lonato dragged his hands down on his face before turning to Dimitri. “Your Highness, you are right. Destroying the church won’t satisfy the dead, especially if it means I will have to sacrifice the living.”

“I- I am glad you saw my reasoning.” Dimitri stuttered. He still had a flabbergasted look on his face, like he couldn’t believe that the entire situation defused so peacefully.

“And Ashe. You’re right, too. This rebellion will be nothing more than a massacre. What hope did I really have, pitting common soldiers against the Knights of Seiros? And to think I tried to convince you to stand with them. There must be a better way to change the world, one that will not cause so much pain to my people and my son.”

“There is.” Ashe finally had the strength to speak again.

“Ashe, what are you saying?” Dimitri turned his head towards him, afraid that he would put his life on the line again.

“I… know that in the future, Rhea won’t be the Archbishop anymore. Her successor is a kinder person. One that won’t execute people without reason, who welcomes everyone with open arms, and has nothing to hide from the public. I’m sure that the Church of Seiros will change for the better under that person’s reign.”

“We don’t know that for certain-”

“Don’t know what?” Lord Lonato latched onto Dimitri’s retort. “It sounds like you know this successor personally. Tell me, how are you aware of all this? It can’t be a vision from the goddess, but there must be some other greater power at work.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda accurate. The thing is, me and His Highness and the other Blue Lions come from the future.”

“Well, except Dedue.”

“What?!” Lonato exclaimed.

There was no going back at this point. Ashe and Dimitri explained their unique circumstances to Lord Lonato. They left out many vital tidbits, including ones about the instigator of the war and their beloved professor. They wanted to keep such identities a secret to prevent them from being revealed to the wrong person. Still, at the end of it all, Lord Lonato looked like he had a basic grasp on everything. And he seemed incredibly bewildered, like all this was over his head.

“So… the Western Church pushed me to rebel just so they could plant a fake letter on me.” Lord Lonato furrowed his eyebrows. Ashe couldn’t blame him for feeling so distraught. He would, too, if he found out that his rebellion was mostly pointless in the grand scheme of things.

“That about sums it up. Do you happen to have it?” Ashe asked.

“I do. They sent it to me along with details for the rebellion. Did you need it?”

Ashe and Dimitri conferred with each other for a moment. Amidst hushed whispers, they ultimately decided to take it for now. Who knows what might happen to it if things went south? This letter kickstarted a lot of important events, so they had to keep it safe until the time was right.

“There’s something else we need, if you care to divulge it.” Dimitri mentioned.

“What is it?”

“Information about the Western Church. Who came up with all these plots, what kind of stories they’ve been preaching, anything that will help us in our investigation.”

“Why are you investigating them? If you are thinking of ousting them, then this is not a task for children.”

“Have you not heard what we just explained? We are not mere students anymore.” Dimitri said with a hint of annoyance. Then he paused and let out a regretful sigh. “I apologize. I did not mean to be rude. The reason why we’re looking into the Western Church is because they have connections to powerful but unknown enemies. If we can learn anything about them from this lead, then we’re one step closer to stopping the war.”

“I see.” Lord Lonato stroked his mustache thoughtfully. “I’m afraid that the higher members of the Western Church keep their identities a closely guarded secret. Even I don’t know the names of many of them. But I will give you all that I do know, as well as this.”

He got up from his chair, strolled over to a bookshelf, and hovered a finger over the spines of many books until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a rather hefty tome, reminiscent of a holy book, and placed it on the table.

“This contains their doctrine. When I first read it, I thought it to be true. It would certainly explain a lot of behavior from the church. But after everything you told me, about how the Western Church was only using me to further their plans, I’m not certain of what to believe in.”

Ashe flipped through the book’s many pages. That was a lot of text dedicated to slandering Rhea and her church. It would definitely take him a long time to go through it, and he was sure the others would like to have a look at it too.

Dimitri took a moment to thumb through the book as well. Once he was satisfied, he glanced at at Lord Lonation. “Thank you, Lonato. This will help us a great deal.”

“You’re welcome. I wish I could aid you more, but this is all I can give you.”

“You have done enough.” Dimitri reassured him. “We promise we will do all we can to crush those dastards that manipulated you.”

“And… Thank you for believing in us.” Ashe mumbled. He still couldn’t believe that this turned out better than he thought.

“There is no need to thank me for that. Fathers should always believe in their sons, after all.”

After they procured more precious information from Lord Lonato, he invited them to stay the night. He thought that Ashe would want to spend more time with his siblings, and he thought correctly. Ashe did promise that he would play with them and he didn’t intend to break more promises today. By the time he would be done with that, it would be too late to travel safely. Plus, tomorrow was another free day at school, so no one would mind their absence at all.

Just as soon as they left the study, however, Dimitri pulled Ashe into another private room. He knew what he wanted to discuss, and he honestly dreaded what was to come. Arguing with Lord Lonato was one thing, but arguing with Dimitri brought a whole new set of emotions with it.

“Ashe.” Dimitri started with a heavy sigh. “Did you truly mean what you said back there? That you would rather die than kill Lord Lonato again?”

Ashe didn’t respond, but casted his mournful eyes downwards. He already felt Dimitri’s disappointment emanating off of him, he didn’t want to see it too.

Dimitri groaned again and pressed a hand over his face. “I asked you if you were fine, and you said yes. You promised not to be reckless, yet you brought the dagger from the monastery. That could only mean that you planned to break your promise when you made it.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” 

“There’s no need to apologize. Just answer me honestly. Was all that you said with the dagger merely a bluff?”

“... Not entirely.” Ashe wished that he could give him a more definite response. His feelings on the entire matter were hard to summarize, especially when he just came off an adrenaline rush.

“Not entirely? Please, explain what you mean.”

“I guess I… I love my father, you know. He rescued me and my siblings from poverty, treated us like his children, and was the pinnacle of knighthood that I strived towards. So when he died, he left behind a hole in my heart. I thought it would heal over time, but the fact that I killed him meant that it would never completely close. I would live with this pain for the rest of my life.”

“Ashe…”

His voice trembled, threatening tears, but he had to at least finish his piece before breaking down. “Then, against all odds, I got a second chance. I knew from the moment I first woke up in the past that I had to do anything I could to save Lord Lonato. Even if it meant lying to you, or risking my life. I just couldn’t go through that again.

“I got the idea with the dagger from a book, actually.” Ashe was kind of rambling now, but he didn’t care. “The knight gave his best friend a sword, asking if his quest for vengeance or his friendship was more important. I… did not have the exact same situation, but it seemed like the kind of dilemma that would change Lord Lonato’s mind. I knew he still loved me, deep down inside, and with the right words and this dagger, I could find that love again. But if I was wrong, then I suppose dying at the hands of my father wouldn’t be the worst way to go. It would have been better than killing him again.”

Silence. Dimitri was frozen in rapt attention. The crown prince was always a tough person to read, since he was well versed in the craft of maintaining his composure. Yet, when Ashe looked at him, he was shaking ever so slightly, as if what he said caused him pain.

“I know you must think me naive, or foolish, or maybe both, for relying on a trick from a children’s story. But you asked for an explanation, so here it is.”

“Ashe.” Dimitri murmured. “I don’t think you’re naive or foolish. I understand you completely.”

It took a while for those words to register in Ashe’s mind. While he stared at Dimitri in muted shock, the prince continued on. “I have those thoughts every time I think of Edelgard. I wonder if it’s the right thing to put everything on the line for her. I wonder if I’m strong enough to end her if she can’t be saved. The only difference between you and me is that you went first, and succeeded. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t help ease your inner torment along the way.”

“Your Highness, you shouldn’t be apologizing when I’m the one that slighted you.”

“Well, I am. But also...” Dimitri inhaled deeply. It was a rare sight to see him struggling for words. “Make me a promise. Really promise me, this time, that you won’t risk your life like that again. The Blue Lions can’t stop the war without every single member, including you.”

“I promise.” This time, his oath was genuine. He figured that he used up all his luck on Lord Lonato anyway.

“And promise that you’ll tell me or anyone else whenever you’re having doubts like that again.”

“I promise that too.” Ashe nodded. “I’m really sorry for not letting you know. I just didn’t want you to worry about me.”

“Please, don’t ever think like that.” Dimitri objected. “You once said that we were like your family. So we’re always glad to listen to whatever you have to say and to shoulder alongside you whatever burden you may have. It’s no problem for us at all.”

“O-oh. Thank you, your Highness. Although, I’m surprised that you remember that day.”

“Of course I do.” Dimitri grinned. His casual smile was like a breath of fresh air in the oppressing fog of gloominess. “Everyone put in a lot of effort to make your 17th birthday party a success. But it was worth it, with how happy it made you. That’s what I meant when I said that it’s no problem at all.”

“Th-thank you.” Ashe sniffled again. Tears were welling up in his eyes for the second time today, except now they were tears of joy. Dimitri suddenly pulled him into a hug, startling him enough to make him yelp.

“Besides giving me the scare of my life, you did very well today, Ashe. I’m proud of you.”

He didn’t answer, knowing that he would dissolve into a blubbering mess on his shoulders if he said anything. Instead, he just nodded and hugged back. Thankfully the embrace wasn’t drawn out enough to become awkward and Dimitri withdrew after Ashe’s crying ceased.

“Anyway, speaking of family, should we check on Dedue and your siblings? I hope they’re doing alright without us.”

Ashe wiped the remaining tears away with the back of his hand. “Elma and Oliver should be. But I don’t know about Dedue. Playing with those two can be a real hassle sometimes.”

“It sounds like you speak from experience.” Dimitri laughed, dispelling more of the melancholy mood. Ashe chuckled alongside him.

They ended up finding Dedue in the gardens with a flower crown on his head. Elma had set her head in his lap, sporting a matching crown and weaving another one with her small fingers. Oliver, meanwhile, stood next to a nearby pond, trying to catch a frog with a stick.

“How did the meeting go?” He inquired. It looked like he wanted to get up, but it would be a difficult task with a little girl on him.

“It went well.” Ashe replied. He didn’t want to go into any more detail with sensitive ears around. 

“Ashe!” Elma perked up upon seeing her brother. “I’m making you a flower crown too! Did you know that Dedude knows a lot about flowers? He helped me pick out the best ones!”

“It’s ‘Dedue’.” Dimitri corrected her. The aforementioned man shook his head like such a correction was pointless.

“Is that so? Those are some wonderful flower crowns you two made. I’m an awfully lucky brother to get one from you.”

He really did feel lucky. By successfully convincing Lord Lonato to stand down, these two wouldn’t have to suffer through another loss of a family member anytime soon. He could preserve their happiness a little longer. He could keep this treasured moment, of all of them in the gardens together and carefree, close to his heart without reopening the wound. And he was sure that he would make even more memories like this. Not just with Oliver and Elma, but with Lord Lonato too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter took a while to write, I will be taking a small break from updating for the holidays. At least if I don't update for a while, this chapter is a good place to stop for now. I wish everyone a happy holiday and happy new year if I don't post before then!


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